CPLP Film Festival on the occasion of the Portuguese Language and Culture Day

Ambassador Da Silva,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Boa tarde a todos!
[Good afternoon everyone]

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all today to the opening of the Film Festival of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries. This event is held on the occasion of Portuguese Language and Culture Day which celebrates the common thread uniting over 240 million people across four continents and nine countries.

Today’s event would not have been possible without the joint efforts of the Permanent Mission of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, which currently holds the presidency of the CPLP, and the Permanent Missions of the six other Lusophone states represented here in Geneva: Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique and Portugal.

As it coalesced, the CPLP has found its distinct voice on the world stage. Since 1999, when the General Assembly granted the CPLP observer status, the United Nations has collaborated with it on a range of key issues, such as promoting a return to constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau, rebuilding political institutions, fostering good governance and promoting sustainable development in Timor-Leste and São Tomé and Principe. The UN General Assembly recognized these efforts in a 2015 resolution which praised the CPLP’s consistent work to bolster “diplomatic and political dialogue, cooperation in all areas and promotion of the Portuguese language.”

In June 2014, I had the pleasure of meeting with the CPLP’s Executive Secretary, H.E. Mr. Murade Isaac Murargy, to discuss multilingualism and the CPLP’s contribution to our common efforts here in Geneva. As we work together to implement the seminal global agreements established in 2015, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris climate agreement, I encourage the CPLP countries to further share their expertise and continue to engage in our efforts towards peace, rights and well-being.

Here in Geneva, it is heartening to see the Permanent Missions of the CPLP states come together to share the vibrant Portuguese language and culture with the international community. This CPLP Film Festival is a rare opportunity to discover new names and new countries on the cinematic map. The four films to be screened from Angola, Brazil, Portugal and Timor-Leste are a vivid and versatile confirmation that the great moviemaking traditions of the Lusophone world are alive and proudly carried forth. So we begin this festival with the screening of the first film, Njinga, Rainda de Angola, a powerful and inspiring story of determination, hardship and triumph.

Thank you very much.