Kiswahili Language Day

In the 1950s the United Nations established the Kiswahili language unit of United Nations Radio, and today Kiswahili is the only African language within the Directorate of the Global Communications at the United Nations. The United Nations General Assembly, through its resolution 71/328 of 11 September 2017, on multilingualism, welcomed implementation of a day dedicated to each of its official languages in order to inform and raise awareness of their history, culture and use, and encouraged the Secretary-General and institutions such as UNESCO to consider extending this important initiative to other non-official languages spoken throughout the world.

In that regard, the 41^st session of the General Conference of UNESCO adopted resolution 41 C/61 that recognized the role the Kiswahili language plays in promoting cultural diversity, creating awareness and fostering dialogue among civilizations and noted the need to promote multilingualism as a core value of the United Nations and an essential factor in harmonious communication between peoples, which promotes unity in diversity and international understanding, tolerance and dialogue. The resolution proclaimed 7 July of each year as World Kiswahili Language Day. Kiswahili is the first African language to the recognized in such a manner by the UN.

UNESCO Director-General's message for the World Kiswahili Language Day

Message from Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of World Kiswahili Language Day 7 July 2023

Link here

UNESCO

Celebrations at UNESCO HQ and in Field Offices

UNESCO Headquarters in 2023

Friday 07 July 2023 16h00, Room II, UNESCO Headquarters

Activities: Roundtable, Reception and cultural performances Link here

Webcast link here

UN Headquarters -

See the link here

In the Field Offices

UNESCO Liaison office in New York in 2023:

See link here

UNESCO Brasilia

See link here

UNESCO Tanzania

See link here and Video

Kiswahili is one of the most widely used languages of the African family, and the most widely spoken in sub-Saharan Africa. It is among the 10 most widely spoken languages in the world, with more than 200 million speakers.The language is one of the lingua franca in many countries within East, Central and Southern Africa as well as in the Middle East. It is also taught across major universities and colleges globally.

Celebration at UNESCO Headquarters

One word (in Kiswahili) - different languages!

As we look forward in celebrating the first World Kiswahili Language Day, we call on you to join us by recording video of you saying a kiswahili word and translating it to your mother language, in our attempt to bring Kiswahili Language closer to home.

For example:

Nakupenda in Kiswahili means I love you ( in English ) Je t’aime (in french)…and Aheri( in Luo)….. Ke a go rata (setswana) …..

Now you can try the greetings below (Jambo which means hello) , in a video or photo . You will need to write on an A4 page (the Swahili word and its meaning in your mother tongue), take a photo and send it to us before Friday 8 July.

For more information please contact m.bowe@unesco.org

Photo Gallery