Kiswahili Language Day

This year, World Kiswahili Language Day will be celebrated on 05 July 2024 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris under the theme "Kiswahili: Education and Culture of Peace".

The celebrations for the 3rd World Kiswahili Language Day, chaired by the Permanent Delegation of the Democratic Republic of Congo, will take place on 5 July 2024 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, under the theme: "Kiswahili: Education and Culture of Peace".

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 230 million speakers.

The General Conference of UNESCO, at its 41^st session of the General Conference in 2021 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 2024

Friday 05 July 2024 16h00, Room II, UNESCO Headquarters
This year's commemoration of World Kiswahili Language Day will include the following activities at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris:

1. Official ceremony

2. Conference in panel format

3. Cultural evening

4. Animation workshops for children

5. Social media campaign

UN Headquarters -

Program here
Concept note 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