Welsh bilingual technology guide adapted for UNESCO toolkit

A Welsh guide to building bilingual technology has been adapted for an international UNESCO toolkit intended to help languages with fewer digital resources, the Welsh Government has announced.

The Practical Toolkit for Supporting Multilingual Digital Services draws on the government’s Bilingual Technology Toolkit. The announcement, published on 30 September, says it covers bringing languages into websites, apps and public services.

From Welsh services to an international guide

The intended audience extends beyond Welsh and English to other nations and communities, particularly those using lesser-resourced and Indigenous languages. The publication forms part of UNESCO’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages.

In a statement included in the government release, UNESCO’s Mariya Gabriel said the work draws on experience of integrating Welsh into digital platforms to support wider participation. Education and Welsh Language Minister Anna Brychan said smaller languages should have a place in the technologies people use every day.

What the announcement establishes

This is the publication of guidance, rather than a new legal requirement for Welsh websites or a commitment to a funded rollout. It does not establish how many organisations have adopted the toolkit or measure the effect on Welsh-language use.