Nasser International Forum Celebrates Swahili's Recognition at UNESCO
The Nasser International Forum issued a statement celebrating the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) recognition of Swahili as an official working language, alongside other major languages used during its General Conference. This declaration was made during the Forty Third Session of the General Conference held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from October 30 to November 13, 2025. This historic resolution was a response to a request submitted to the government of the United Republic of Tanzania by the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts, and Sports, in cooperation with the Swahili councils BAKITA and BAKIZA. Following the adoption, the Tanzanian Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Ali Jabiri Mwadini, delivered a national statement.
The Forum noted in its statement that this achievement marks Swahili as the first indigenous African language to attain the status of an official working language at UNESCO, an important step in the global recognition of African languages and the strengthening of their presence in international institutions. It is also noteworthy that UNESCO adopted July 7 as World Swahili Language Day in November 2021, a date later endorsed officially by the United Nations General Assembly in July 2024. Today, Swahili is an official language of the East African Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), and the African Union (AU).
In this context, anthropologist Hassan Ghazaly, the founder of the Nasser International Forum, stated that the Forum pays particular attention to Swahili through a specialized department responsible for implementing training programs, translation initiatives, and youth dialogues as part of a strategic vision. The aim is to reinforce the status of Swahili in Egypt as a bridge of communication with the peoples of East Africa, with whom Egypt shares strategic relations. Swahili in Egypt is now considered a vital tool for building Egyptian awareness of African affairs through Egyptian learners of Swahili, who serve as a bridge of communication between African cultures, reflecting the growing role of Swahili on the international scene and its increasing recognition as a language of civilized and humane communication, Ghazaly added.
Furthermore, Mervat Saqr, translator and Swahili language coordinator at the Nasser International Forum, stated that the Swahili section on the Forum website includes more than 1,675 published articles, contributing to the spread of knowledge and the fostering of cultural convergence between African and Arab peoples. The number of graduates from the Forum Swahili language program has reached approximately 250 students, Saqr noted. To further expand participation, the Forum launched its online portal to receive articles written in Swahili, available to all language speakers and students interested in publishing their articles and research on the Forum platform, via the following email: Articles@nasserforum.com
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