The important role a shared language plays in encouraging mutual learning was highlighted at this year's United Nations Chinese Language Day on Tuesday.

It featured a one-hour special event that celebrated the success of the first Chinese Language Video Festival organized by the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), the Permanent Mission of China based there and other international organizations, as well as China Media Group (CMG).

The festival, which concluded on Tuesday, attracted participants from 27 countries, including the U.S., the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Over 340 video submissions told touching stories about a civilized, modern and youthful China through participants' personal experiences in the country.

The program featured a selection of the best submissions and original videos followed by "Language of Spring," the official theme song of the UN Chinese Language Day. The song alludes to the passing of winter and the arrival of spring, highlighting that the changing of seasons is inevitable and is experienced worldwide. The virtual event was live-streamed across CMG and the official UN social media channels.

Shen Haixiong, CMG president, congratulated the Chinese Language Video Festival winners and participants. He described the event as a metaphorical springtime letter or song that has been sent to the world and performed on the "grand stage" of the UN, providing hope for a peaceful future. He also highlighted that the phrase "many voices, one world" encompasses exactly what the UN is striving for in a multicultural world.

The date for the UN Chinese Language Day was selected to coincide with Grain Rain, the sixth of 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar. On this particular day people pay tribute to Cang Jie, an important figure in ancient China who is said to have invented Chinese characters.

Tatiana Valovaya, director-general of the United Nations at Geneva, said Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world and one of the oldest. With over 100,000 characters and counting, it acts as a repository of Chinese wisdom, culture and traditions.

Chinese was established as an official language of the UN in 1946. The language became widely used after the restoration of the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China in the UN in 1971. In 1973, the General Assembly included Chinese as a working language, an act that was replicated by the Security Council in 1974.

Valovaya stressed the importance of multilingualism as a cornerstone of effective multilateralism. She said that China is a vital partner for the UN and the second largest contributor to the UN budget. As the world continues to face wide-ranging challenges triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN is more reliant than ever on China's continued commitment to multilateralism.

Chen Xu, ambassador and permanent representative of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, said the Chinese language plays an important role in promoting cultural exchange and encouraging communication between different countries.

He believes that as people learn Chinese and experience Chinese culture, they will provide the world with a better understanding of China and reveal the beauty the country has to offer. Consequently, China will greet the rest of the world with an accepting attitude and continue to support worldwide cultural enrichment.