On this Spanish Language Day 2026, ICCROM is proud to celebrate the unprecedented integration of Spanish across our global initiatives, reflecting our strong commitment to multilingualism and inclusive access.
This wider presence of Spanish has been made possible thanks to the voluntary contribution of Spain. Their support has enabled Spanish to be more fully embedded within activities, publications, and governance processes – fostering greater engagement from Spanish-speaking professionals and Member States.
At ICCROM, Spanish serves as a strategic tool to facilitate institutional processes and empower professionals and local communities to unlock the full potential of heritage.
A Growing and Collective Commitment to Spanish
This evolution within ICCROM aligns with efforts to advance Spanish language use across institutions tasked with a global mandate.
On 23 April 2026, the Permanent Representations of Spanish-speaking countries to Rome-based international organizations announced the creation of the Group of Friends of Spanish in Rome (GAE-R). Bringing together Spanish-speaking countries, this initiative signals renewed commitment towards strengthening multilingualism across institutions including ICCROM, FAO, IFAD, WFP, UNIDROIT and IDLO.
The initiative encourages the use of Spanish in documentation, dialogue and cooperation, while supporting equitable access to information and fuller participation of its Member States in international processes. Spoken by more than 600 million people worldwide, Spanish plays a key role in knowledge exchange, technical cooperation and intercultural dialogue.
For ICCROM, this endeavour creates new opportunities to strengthen engagement with Spanish-speaking professionals and institutions, expand access to programmes and resources, and deepen inter-regional collaboration. It also reinforces the value of cultural diversity and multilingualism as a fundamental pillar for multilateralism.
ICCROM thanks the members of the Group for their leadership and shared commitment to enhancing multilingualism in the work of Rome-based international organizations.
Building on the Momentum
As Spanish continues to take a more prominent role in its operations, ICCROM is now poised to go further.
With the support of Spain and the collective momentum of the Group of Friends, ICCROM looks ahead to consolidating and strengthening its work in Spanish, helping to build a more inclusive and connected global heritage community.
As Spanish continues to grow within ICCROM, so too does our commitment to strengthening how we connect, collaborate, and ensure accessibility across our work.