The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), its multilingualism partners and the Permanent Missions in Ethiopia, celebrated International French Language Day on 30 March 2023, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Commemorated on 20 March each year – in reference to 20 March 1970, when the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation was created, which later became the OIF – the day was postponed this year due to the holding of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. The theme of the 2023 edition, “321 million Francophones, billions of cultural contents”, aimed to promote creative imagination, Francophone artistic creativity and cultural diversity.
Opening the session, ECA’s Acting Executive Secretary, Antonio Pedro, highlighted the link between multilingualism and peace, stating that cultural diversity is at the centre of dialogue between people and cultures. Language and daily experiences serve as fertile ground for understanding, tolerance, crisis management and peace.