TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) is preparing to host the International Austronesian Languages Revitalization Forum in Kodor, Palau, on Sunday (Sept. 29) in cooperation with governmental partners from Taiwan and Japan.

The forum is a workshop organized under the AIT-hosted Global Cooperation and Training Forum (GCTF). This year’s Austronesian Language Forum will be the first to be held outside of Taiwan, according to an AIT press release.

In addition to the AIT, the forum is being co-sponsored by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Council of Indigenous Peoples, and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association. The GCTF was established in 2015 to provide opportunities for Taiwan to share its expertise and strengthen relations with partners across the globe.

Sunday’s language forum is an international platform to promote and discuss efforts for the preservation and revitalization of declining Austronesian languages, according to the press release. The event will help to build cultural and academic connections among countries that prize their Austronesian heritage.

The GCTF Forum will also herald the opening of the official headquarters for the Austronesian Forum, which will be celebrated on Sept. 30. The Austronesian Forum was a defunct organization for 10 years until it was re-established in 2018 thanks to support from the Taiwanese government. It currently consists of 12 member states.