The teaching of the Portuguese language is being initiated for the first time for United Nations (UN) staff through the UN's regular foreign language course, based in New York. This course runs parallel to the organization's six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.
The initiative was aimed at diplomats, collaborators, and associates of the organization, and the volume of registrations reached a record level, surprising even the professors from the Camões Institute, as reported by the ONU News platform.
Professor Carla Gomes da Silva, who is responsible for the Portuguese Level 1 classes for beginners, mentioned that although initially 15 students were planned per class, the number has already increased to 18, admitting the possibility of future class expansion.
The lecturer highlighted the great interest shown, believing that this desire comes from UN professionals seeking to acquire Portuguese as a new tool to facilitate cooperation and communication among themselves.
According to the organizers, this marks the first time that a non-official UN language will be shared by the UN Language and Communication Training Unit.
João Caixinha, representative and coordinator of Camões, Institute of Cooperation and Language in the United States, clarified that the project originated from a larger strategy to promote more Portuguese courses in other international organizations.
Caixinha emphasized the importance of Portuguese gaining a stronger presence in the United Nations, especially since it is not yet an official language, which allows for boosting the language's status in international forums.
Portuguese language instruction for children has existed for several years at the United Nations School in New York, intended for the children of diplomats and other students.
This first course aimed at adults at the UN is a co-organization of the United Nations Operational Support Department Office. The Portuguese Government delegated the responsibility of teaching the language to Camões, Institute of Cooperation and Language.
Efforts to elevate Portuguese to the status of an official UN language continue, but the former Portuguese Ambassador to the UN, Ana Paula Zacarias, informed Lusa in 2023 that the necessary financial investment is considerable.
Additionally, in 2023, the Inter-American Court of Justice proposed to the UN Security Council the inclusion of Portuguese as an official language, alongside English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, and Arabic.
In 2024, UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised the creation of a dedicated section for Portuguese books in the United Nations library, highlighting the language as a 'unifying force' that transcends geographical barriers.
Guterres also pointed out that Portuguese is already used as a working language in certain UN agencies, citing the UN News Portuguese language service, in collaboration with social media teams and Lusophone regional offices of the UN, to demonstrate the 'growing interest in Portuguese information.'
Globally, Portuguese is recognized as one of the most widespread languages, with over 260 million speakers across all continents, and is the most spoken language in the Southern Hemisphere, according to UNESCO data.