World Portuguese Language Day
According to the UNESCO website, the date of May 5th was officially established in 2009 by the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) – an intergovernmental organization, an official partner of UNESCO since 2000, which brings together peoples who have 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 the General Conference of UNESCO decided to proclaim May 5th of each year as “World Day of the Portuguese Language.”
The Portuguese language is not only one of the most widespread languages globally, with more than 265 million speakers spread across all continents, but it is also the most spoken language in the southern hemisphere. Portuguese continues to be, today, one of the main languages of international communication and a language with a full geographical extension, destined to increase.
The Worldwide Language Days annually celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity and provide an opportunity to raise awareness of the international community about the history, culture, and use of each of these languages. Multilingualism, a core value of the United Nations and an area of strategic importance for UNESCO, is essential for unified communication between peoples, promoting unity in diversity, international understanding, tolerance, and dialogue.