International Mother Language Day, observed annually on February 21st, originated in Bangladesh to commemorate the 1952 killings of students who were protesting for the recognition of Bengali as an official language. UNESCO later proclaimed the day in 1999, emphasizing the importance of linguistic and cultural diversity and promoting multilingual education.

The United Nations has declared 2022-2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages. This initiative aims to draw global attention to the critical state of many Indigenous languages and to encourage action for their preservation, revitalization, and promotion. The Decade follows the International Year of Indigenous Languages in 2019 and is led by UNESCO.

In 2019, Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero proclaimed February 21st as Mother Language Day; and further, proclaimed the YEAR 2019 as the Year of Indigenous Languages to celebrate, recognize and honor the CHamoru language as the indigenous language of the First People of Guam. In 2022, Guam proclaimed the observance and support of the UN International Decade of Indigenous Languages through Executive Proclamation. The 36th Guam Legislature declared the same by Resolution.