Secretary-General's message on World Portuguese Language Day
Statements | António Guterres, Secretary-General
On World Portuguese Language Day, we celebrate a language that has travelled widely and taken root in many societies.
From Lisbon to Maputo, from São Paulo to Dili, it is a language constantly renewed by the 265 million people who speak it – and a place of belonging that no border can contain. As Corsino Fortes, a Cape Verdean writer and poet, said, language is the homeland we carry within us. That plurality is its greatest strength.
In times of fragmentation, this matters greatly. A language spoken across four continents is, in itself, an exercise in dialogue.
At the United Nations, we know that multilingualism is essential to mutual understanding and effective multilateralism. As it marks its 30th anniversary this year, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries reflects this spirit of dialogue and partnership, and the United Nations deeply values its contribution.
On this day, I salute Portuguese speakers around the world. May the Portuguese language continue to enrich our common humanity and help build a more just, peaceful, and united world.