Building peace in the minds of men and women

World Portuguese language day

5 May

The date of 5 May was officially established in 2009 by the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) - an intergovernmental organization that has been in official partnership with UNESCO since 2000, and which brings together peoples with the Portuguese language as one of the foundations of their specific identity - to celebrate the Portuguese language and Lusophone cultures. In 2019, the 40th session of UNESCO's General Conference decided to proclaim 5 May of each year as "World Portuguese Language Day".

The Portuguese language is not only one of the most widespread languages in the world, with more than 265 million speakers spread through all continents, but it is also the most widely spoken language in the southern hemisphere. Portuguese remains, today, a major language of international communication and a language with a strong geographical projection, destined to increase.   

The Days dedicated to the languages spoken throughout the world celebrate every year multilingualism and cultural diversity and provide an opportunity to raise the international community awareness to the history, culture and use of each of these languages. Multilingualism, a core value of the United Nations and a domain of strategic importance for UNESCO, is a key factor in harmonious communication among peoples, which promotes unity in diversity, international understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

MEssage of the director general of  unesco

" Ici à l’UNESCO nous savons comme cette langue est une langue de créativité, de musique, - du fado à la morna, en passant par les poètes de la bossa nova-, une langue de littérature, de cinéma, des patrimoines. Mais aussi une langue des sciences, de l’innovation, de la pédagogie, des solidarités, des mers et des océans."

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— Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of World Portuguese Language Day

MEssage of the secretary general of united nations (online may 5)

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- Resolution adopted by the General Assembly

- Recommendation concerning the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace

- Cooperation agreement between UNESCO and CPLP

- CPLP official website

- All international days and weeks

Past commemorations of the Portuguese Language and Cultures in CPLP Day :

- 2018 Video

- 2018 Article

- 2019 Video

- 2019 Article