NoWith this vote, Augusto Santos Silva recalled that the World Portuguese Language Day was consecrated in 2019 by UNESCO, based on a proposal by the then ambassador of Portugal, António Sampaio da Nóvoa, and which was “subscribed by all the ambassadors of Portuguese-speaking countries Portuguese accredited to that United Nations organization”.
“A fair global projection was thus given to a day that the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries had already celebrated, since 2009, as Portuguese Language and Culture Day in the CPLP”, he said.
The president of the parliament underlined that “Portuguese is the most spoken language in the southern hemisphere and one of the languages that is most expanding worldwide”.
Santos Silva also argued that Portuguese is the language “in which some of the most vibrant literature of our time is expressed”, recalling the most recent winners of the Camões Prize such as Silviano Santiago, Paulina Chiziane, Vítor Manuel de Aguiar e Silva, Chico Buarque or Germano de Oliveira.
“This common heritage belongs to all of us, which makes each one of us – Angolans, Brazilians, Cape Verdeans, Guineans, Mozambicans, Portuguese, Sao Tome or Timorese – responsible for its future, enriching it with the different varieties with which we speak it. It is, therefore, a living language and as such we celebrate it”, he added.
Santos Silva said that this is a vote that aims to congratulate “all Portuguese speakers, who contribute to its wealth and projection in the world, that is, to its future” and its unanimous approval was followed by applause of deputies from all parties.
In 2019, the 40th General Assembly of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) consecrated May 5 as World Portuguese Language Day. Since then, the event has been celebrated and shared by more than 260 million Portuguese speakers on five continents, recognizing the Portuguese language as one of the main languages of communication globally.
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