In the busy hallways of United Nations Headquarters in New York and Geneva, staff members and delegates have, since September and October, respectively, been greeted by digital kiosks displaying a series of quotes under the slogan “Multilingualism Matters”.

This is the flagship campaign launched by the United Nations Coordinator for Multilingualism, featuring quotes from the Secretary-General, the Coordinator and the heads of 37 entities across Headquarters, duty stations, regional commissions and field missions. Designed in collaboration with the Department of Global Communications, the campaign visuals have also been rolled out gradually on the social media accounts of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM).

At the heart of the campaign lies a simple yet powerful message: multilingualism is essential – within the Organization and in its engagement with the world, now and in the future. It is a core value of the United Nations. It enables multilateral diplomacy, contributes to the achievement of the Organization’s goals and brings it closer to the peoples it serves. As the Secretary-General has stressed, “in an interconnected world, multilingualism contributes to building trust and making the United Nations more efficient, more representative and more transparent.”

The campaign forms part of the ongoing efforts to promote and implement the United Nations Strategic Framework on Multilingualism, launched in the six official languages in March 2024, in implementation of relevant General Assembly resolutions and a recommendation of the Joint Inspection Unit. A significant milestone, the Framework reaffirms that multilingualism is not an afterthought and must be integrated from the outset of every work process. Its implementation will be entity-driven, pursuant to the latest General Assembly resolution on multilingualism (A/RES/78/330).

Explore the campaign and reaffirm your own commitment – individually or as an entity – to multilingualism, for it truly matters, now more than ever.

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