The International Day of the Swahili Language, announced by the UNESCO General Conference in 2021, recognises the importance of Swahili as one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and as a powerful tool for intercultural dialogue. It is in this context that UNESCO has organised, on 6 and 7 July, at its Paris headquarters, the fifth commemoration of World Kiswahili Language Day and the Second International Conference on Kiswahili.