The UPU’s director general today spoke before the 26th Ministerial Conference on La Francophonie.
Edouard Dayan was the only head of a United Nations organization to address the Conference, held in preparation of the Francophonie Summit taking place from Friday to Sunday in Montreux, Switzerland.
Heading the only UN agency whose official language is French, Edouard Dayan was invited to speak on the place of that language in international organizations.
The director general said that one of the best ways to preserve the use of French in international organizations is to encourage linguistic diversity.
At the UPU, he said it was essential to preserve and encourage the use of all UN working languages and their teaching.“This is remarkably valuable in an organization like ours. Linguistic diversity is what fosters a respect for other cultures and differences,” he said.
At the UPU’s head office in Berne, English is a working language since 1994. The six other UN languages, as well as Portuguese, are used during the organization’s official meetings.