"World Arabic Language Day is an opportunity for us to acknowledge the immense contribution of the Arabic language to universal culture and to renew our commitment to multilingualism. Linguistic diversity is a key component of cultural diversity. It reflects the wealth of human existence and gives us access to infinite resources so that we may engage in dialogue, learn, develop and live in peace.

The Arabic language bears the treasures of ancient Islamic wisdom, and the voice of poets, philosophers and scientists who placed the strength and beauty of the language at the service of humanity, scholars like the great Avicenna, the 1,000th anniversary of whose The Canon of Medicine we celebrate this year. We can mobilize that strength to spread knowledge, encourage mutual understanding and build spaces of cooperation for development and peace. The Arabic language is also our ally as we seek to improve literacy rates and build knowledge societies with 22 Member States of UNESCO. This year, UNESCO is emphasizing in particular the role of the media in favour of the reach and reinforcement of Arabic. The media are a key agent of public discourse, and UNESCO is committed to supporting the Arab media as forces of dialogue, information and citizenship.

We should strengthen training for journalists and support for media development so as to ensure that Arabic is heard and read in the public arena. Initiatives backed by UNESCO, such as the sixth Arab Free Press Forum, held in Tunis in November 2013, and the Arab Bloggers Summit due to be held in January 2014, are additional opportunities to reflect on the situation and needs of the independent, plural Arab press.

The media also encourage us to think about the role of languages as prime instruments in collective life and citizenship. The Arabic language and the possibilities it offers can help the citizens of this globalized world to live together in their diversity. Arabic bears the identities and values of 422 million individuals in the world and of 1.5 billion Muslims who use it for their daily prayers. It drives the reinforcement of the values we share. With this in mind, UNESCO supports the International Council for the Arabic Language, whose role is essential in connecting the Arabic-language cultures and cultures of other languages across the world. UNESCO is involved in a number of regional initiatives designed to promote Arabic, such as the e-platform for teachers, Education for the Twenty-First Century, designed to facilitate knowledge sharing.

I renew this day our commitment to bolstering the use of Arabic – and thus the impact and scope of our programmes – in UNESCO’s work with its Member States."