Secretary-General, in toast at francophone dinner, praises france’s vigilance

in defending multilingualism, ‘linguistic equivalent of multilateralism’

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s toast at the Francophone dinner in New York on 27 September:

Mr. Minister, allow me, first of all, to thank you for your kind words.  France has always been a staunch ally of the United Nations.  You are not only a true friend of the Organization but also one of our former colleagues!  I thank you warmly for your continued and faithful support.

This is the first Francophone dinner I have attended as Secretary-General.  And I would like to commend France for its tireless efforts to promote multilingualism at the United Nations.

With every passing day English gains a little more ground among us.   France’s vigilance is our best defence.  Every two years France submits a resolution to try to re-establish equality among the six official languages of the Organization and between the two working languages.  This year, your initiative met with considerable success.  One hundred twelve countries signed the French text.  And the resolution was adopted by consensus.

Mr. Minister, I will fight to the bitter end to defend your cause.

Not only because I share France’s stance:  multilingualism is, indeed, the linguistic equivalent of multilateralism.

But also for another reason, which I will divulge to you this evening.  I harbour a secret passion for the French language.  But I do not believe that it loves me as much.  As you may have noticed, it is not an entirely reciprocal love.  Not yet, in any case.

Could it be a matter of a communication gap?  Before it begins to love me in return, should I understand it better?

Yet, there are things about it which have always seemed strange to me.

First, why must it be doubly negative?  What isn’t it enough to say “je veux pas” (“I don’t want”)?  Why must the word “ne” be added?  Does it make itself difficult on purpose?

Then, why must it mix up le temps (time) with le temps (weather)?  Le temps which goes by with le temps which occurs outside?  In what other language is the same word used for two entirely different phenomena?  Sometimes, when somebody is talking about le temps I don’t know whether I should be looking at my watch or looking for my umbrella!

Lastly, why must it divide everything into masculine and feminine?  Why has it decided that a fork (une fourchette) is more feminine than a knife (un couteau)?  Is it really keen on war between the sexes?

When you’re in love, there are always particularities about the other person which you must accept.  I might add that my wife must be quite aware of that, since she has put up with mine for 45 years!  But against our better judgement, we still try to know the whys.  Perhaps with the French language it would be better if I did not try to understand.  I should perhaps merely do as I’m told.

Mr. Minister, Mr. Ambassador, you and your compatriots have always been kind and patient towards me while I struggle with this unrequited love.  I am counting on the help of my Francophone friends gathered today to support me both in my efforts to improve my French and in my duties as Secretary-General.

I invite you to raise your glasses to the French-speaking world and to the United Nations, our common family.

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For information media • not an official record