Community of Portuguese Language Countries: Formation, development, and role on the international arena

Velhinho Rodrigues Vadyuska Valentinovna ORCID: 0000-0003-0545-5859 Graduate student, Department of Theory and History of International Relations, People's Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba 117198, Russia, Moscow, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 10, building 2 vadyuskavelhinho@gmail.com Makarova Tatyana Sergeevna Graduate student, Department of Theory and History of International Relations, People's Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba 117198, Russia, Moscow, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 10, office building 2 tatyana.makarova.01@bk.ru

Nikulin Maksim Andreevich PhD in History Assistant, Department of Theory and History of International Relations, Peoples ‘Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba 10 Miklukho-Maklaya str., Moscow, 117198, Russia nikulin-ma@rudn.ru

History of creationThe Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking Countries.

One of the prominent leaders of the anti-colonial movement in Portuguese-speaking Africa, defined the struggle for independence as an act of culture. He noted, "The Portuguese language is one of the best things that the Portuguese have left us" [1. C. 1].

It was the linguistic heritage that became the reason and basis for the creation of the Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP). The principles of friendship and equality laid down in the basis of relations between the member countries of the organization have fundamentally influenced the change in relations between Portugal and its former colonies. The Executive Secretary of the CPLP, Domingos Simoines Pereira, stressed during the forum "The Strategic importance of the CPLP in the global world": "Our community was born as a pact of friendship and solidarity between equals. This is our main strength, unlike other linguistic communities based on old political ties and more or less deep dissemination of a common language. The CPLP is not based on a centric model in which the periphery thrives at the expense of the economic well-being of the former metropolis."^[2].

Against the background of globalization, conditions began to arise for the emergence of diplomatic transformations (metamorphoses) in relations between sovereign states and their peoples. The famous Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa wrote: "All nations are riddles. Perhaps the mystery of Portugal lies in the language."^[3].

It should be assumed that the mystery of the success of the development of the Commonwealth of Portuguese–speaking Countries and the changes in diplomatic relations between them is language.

The history of the creation of the CPLP dates back to 1960, after the formation of the Revolutionary Front for the National Independence of the Portuguese Colonies (RFNNPC), which included Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe. The Group intended to join forces and increase international contacts to strengthen the struggle for decolonization and form a cohesive movement. In 1961, the organization was transformed into the Conference of Nationalist Organizations of the Portuguese Colonies (KNOPP), which was joined by Portuguese India.

After the completion of the process of decolonization of Portuguese-speaking Africa, in 1979 the KNPP was replaced by the regional group of political, economic and cultural cooperation "Portuguese-speaking Countries of Africa" (Port PALOP). The organization includes Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, and Equatorial Guinea joined the organization in 2011. Goa, which became part of Portuguese India in 1961, did not receive membership in the PALOP. The purpose of the organization was to strengthen regional influence, as well as development in the fields of culture, education, economics and diplomacy, by creating agreements on international cooperation with a number of countries. This process led to the development of a concept for the creation of a larger organization.  In this regard, in 1983, during an official visit to Cape Verde, Jaime Gama, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, stated: "The most appropriate process is the development of a coherent and decentralized three-continental dialogue of seven Portuguese-speaking countries, extending to Africa, Europe and America.  Every two years, countries will have to hold alternate summits of heads of state and Government, facilitate annual meetings of foreign ministers, hold frequent political consultations between political directors and regular meetings of representatives at the UN or other international organizations, and move forward with the creation of a Portuguese-speaking group in the Inter-Parliamentary Union."^[4].

In the 90s, the process entered the final stage, when special attention was paid to the obligations of the former Brazilian Ambassador to Lisbon, Jose Aparecido de Oliveira. He, as one of the initiators of the idea of creating the CPLP, defined the organization as follows: "We represent one people scattered across different countries, where each of the nations has its own identity, but we are united by obligations of blood, ethnicity, language, history and responsibility for the same culture."^[5].

The first important step in the process of establishing the CPLP was the meeting of the heads of State and Government of Portuguese–speaking countries - Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe, at the invitation of Brazilian President Jose Sarney, in San Luis do Maranhana in November 1989. At the meeting, it was decided to create the International Institute of the Portuguese Language (IIPL), which was to be responsible for the promotion and dissemination of the common language of the Community. The Institute, headquartered in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, has become an important tool for the development and implementation of the organization's policy for the dissemination and protection of the Portuguese language.

In February 1994, seven foreign Ministers met again in Brazil. Following the meeting, it was decided to recommend to their Governments to hold a summit of heads of State and Government in order to adopt the constituent act of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries. The Ministers also agreed, in preparation for the summit, to establish a Permanent Advisory Group based in Lisbon and consisting of the Director General for Foreign Policy, as a representative of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ambassadors accredited in Lisbon. The following areas were covered in detail::

- political and diplomatic consultations;

- economic and business cooperation;

- Cooperation with non-governmental organizations;

The result of this work is enshrined in two documents adopted later at the Founding Summit.^[6].

The third ministerial meeting took place in June 1995 in Lisbon, which confirmed the importance of the CPLP Constitution for the organization's countries and the commitments made at the meeting in Brazil. On this occasion, they approved the work done and recommended that a Summit be held in Portugal at the end of the first half of 1996, preceded by a ministerial meeting of the same year in Mozambique.On July 17, 1996, a Summit of Heads of State and Government was held in Lisbon, at the Belen Cultural Center, marking the creation of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP), uniting Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe. The Declaration on the Establishment of the Commonwealth was signed by Presidents Jose Eduardo dos Santos (Angola), Fernando Henrique Cardoso (Brazil), Machcarenhas Monteiro (Cape Verde), Jorge Sampay (Portugal), Joao Bernardo "Nino" Vieira (Guinea-Bissau), Joaquin Chissano (Mozambique) and the Prime Minister of Sao Tome and Principe Armindo Vas de Almeida. Six years later, on May 20, 2002, with independence, East Timor became the eighth CPLP member country. After a thorough accession process, Equatorial Guinea became the ninth full member in 2014. ^[7,8,9].

By uniting 9 States and nations located in Africa, Europe, America and Asia into one organization, cooperation between peoples united by historical heritage and a common language has taken a new turn.

CPLP tools for the dissemination of the Portuguese language in Goa and Macau

It was already mentioned earlier that the Commonwealth, which unites nine countries in which Portuguese is the official language, dates back to 1996. However, in July 1998, at the second summit of Heads of State and Government in Praia, a category of observers was created, since from the first day of the CPLP activity there was a need and desire to expand cooperation beyond its borders. The status of junior and associate observer was adopted at a meeting of the CPLP Council of Ministers in 2005.  At a meeting in Luanda, in 2010, the XV Council of Ministers approved the resolution "Regulation on Associated Observers". 33 countries and international organizations were accepted as associated observers, including: Argentina, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Canada, Qatar, USA, Turkey, France, Japan, etc., as well as G7 organizations, the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI), etc.

However, an important problem of the organization was the unresolved status of the Portuguese-speaking peoples who do not have statehood. Currently, they live on the territory of other states, but they do not lose their linguistic and cultural ties with the former metropolis. The peoples of this category include Macau and Goa – Portuguese India. Macau was the last Portuguese overseas colony returned to China in 1999. There are still traces of Portuguese culture in this province. Portuguese is one of the official languages of the region.

Touching upon the issue of India's cooperation with the CPLP, it is worth noting that the country joined the organization as a junior observer in July 2021. A striking example of strengthening relations between India and the Commonwealth was the period when Prime Minister Antonio Costa, a descendant of a Goan from the Indian Brahmin caste, ascended to the post of head of the Portuguese government in 2015. According to him, "There is a law in India according to which, as a descendant of a resident of India, I was granted the status of a citizen of Indian origin. My father studied in India and spent his youth there. I have relatives and property in Margao. Even though I grew up in Portugal, I have a connection with India." He also stated that, on the one hand, "bilateral instruments have already been agreed in areas identified as priority, such as defense cooperation, renewable energy sources, startups, information technology, electronics and communications, public administration and management reform, tourism and the film industry." On the other hand, "it may also be interesting for India to consider Portugal as a platform to enter the markets of Europe, Latin America and Africa." ^[10].  

Thus, from December 3-6, 2022, in Goa, an "International Portuguese-language Festival" was organized with the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India. The festival deepened cultural cooperation with the CPLP member countries and expanded the country's ties with the Portuguese-speaking world. Concerts were organized, at which more than 70 artists from the CPLP countries performed, master classes for artists, as well as exhibitions dedicated to the history of Goa. Round tables were also organized, which covered such topics as: "India's promotion to the Global South – exploring convergence with the IIPN", India's participation in the CPLP Forum, etc.

On May 5, 2022, in Delhi, the CPLP and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India, with the direct participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, celebrated World Portuguese Language Day.

The formation and role of the International Portuguese Language Institute in the CPLP policy

The International Institute of the Portuguese Language (IIPL) was established at the suggestion of former Brazilian President Jose Sarneu in San Luis do Maranh?o. Initially, the idea of creating this Institute belonged to Adrian Moreira, a former member of the Portuguese Council of State. The official outlined his idea in 1988 in Recife (Brazil), at the Joaquim Nabucco Institute. Subsequently, he promoted this initiative in a welcoming speech to Brazilian President Jose Sarney in Lisbon at the Assembly of the Republic in 1988. The opening of the organization took place on November 1, 1989. The ceremony was attended by the presidents of six states, four from Portuguese-speaking African countries, which by that time had already joined the PALOP organization, a delegation from Angola, as well as the presidents of Portugal and Brazil.

According to the CPLP charter, the IIPR is considered an organ of the organization whose main goals were "the promotion, protection, enrichment and dissemination of the Portuguese language as a means of culture, education, information and access to scientific and technological knowledge and its official use in international forums."^[11].

The tasks set, however, were not implemented. Concrete steps in this direction were taken only 10 years after the start of the organization's work. It was only in 2002, at the VI regular meeting of the Council of Ministers of the CPLP in Sao Tome and Principe, that conditions were finally created for the start of the institute's work. During the meeting, the charter of the organization was approved, and the country in which its headquarters will be located was chosen, the choice was made in favor of the Republic of Cape Verde. It was decided to convene its first General Assembly, held in April 2002, at which the country was chosen as the governing body for the first time. Portuguese politician Maria Fonseca, then president of the Cape Verdean Institute of Culture, was nominated for the post of director of the International Institute of the Portuguese Language. However, due to health problems, he was not elected to the leadership post. ^[11]. In this regard, Ondina Ferreira, former Minister of Education and Culture of Cape Verde, took over the post of president of the Institute.

Ondina Ferreira's promising projects are: a census of the population speaking Portuguese in eight Portuguese-speaking countries; analysis and determination of the state of the Portuguese language in the world in cooperation with other international organizations. An important place in the policy of the new president was occupied by the project "Speak Portuguese well", aimed at promoting the language in educational institutions, the media and the Portuguese-speaking community as a whole, in accordance with the guidelines set out at the summit on the establishment of the institute.

Financing is an important problem of the IIE, this problem has not been solved so far. This was condemned by former Executive Secretary Luis Fonseca, "States will have to take the Institute more seriously, since it cannot be expected that the organization will be able to achieve the results that are usually expected from structures like this, due to lack of resources....Countries are reluctant to finance the organization." ^[12].

Despite financial problems, the organization and implementation of various educational, scientific and cultural programs has always been on the official agenda. The most important projects of the Institute are:

– Formation and professional development of Portuguese language teachers;

– Organization of conferences, lectures, round tables, exhibitions, festivals and international competitions for CPLP member countries;

– The constant passage of the GAMES with the CPP and the organization of various events for the rapprochement of peoples and the exchange of cultural and scientific values;

– The production and exchange of literary works and scientific works in Portuguese.

The results of the CPLP and IPY cooperation

The joint work of the CPLP member countries, in particular the work of the IIPR, has yielded certain results. So, in 2019, the 40th session of the UNESCO General Conference decided to proclaim May 5 of each year as "World Portuguese Language Day" ^[13].

Portuguese is not only one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, spoken by more than 293 million people on all continents, but also the most widely spoken language in the southern hemisphere. Portuguese today continues to be one of the main languages of international communication and a language with a strong geographical distribution, which is destined to expand. ^[14].

The days dedicated to languages spoken around the world annually celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity and provide an opportunity to raise awareness among the international community about the history, culture and use of each of these languages. Multilingualism, the core value of the United Nations and an area of strategic importance for UNESCO, is an important factor in harmonious communication between peoples, promoting unity in diversity, international understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

On the occasion of World Portuguese Language Day 2021, Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, made the following statement: "This World Day is a fair recognition of the global importance of the Portuguese language. I am sure that his future will continue to be enriched by the diversity and solidarity of all his voices."^[15]

In a global context characterized by multiple and interrelated crises, languages and global communication are an indispensable means of understanding and hope. And they are also a place of resistance to those who intend to sow hatred, isolation, violence, extremism, misogyny and discrimination. Language is often a refuge and a hope for the most vulnerable groups of the population to be heard, so that their voices are taken into account, so that they are not "left behind". Portuguese is also a good example in this regard, as it is shared and constructed by populations on all continents. Being diverse, this language promotes mutual understanding and reconciliation. The Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries embodies this spirit by promoting cooperation and solidarity among the nine Member States. For more than 260 million speakers in the CPLP countries and their diasporas, Portuguese continues to be the language of mobilization in favor of a renewed, urgent, in favor of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. We need to reaffirm this commitment and this hope in all languages – and we need to move from words to actions. We need to reaffirm our commitment to peace and security, development and human rights, listening to all voices, guided by the common principles on which the United Nations is founded. This is the only way we can live, as Amilcar Cabral hoped – I quote – "In a world for all, without evil and without harm." ^[16].

S WOT-analysis of the Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking States

Based on the previous paragraphs, it is safe to say that the Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking States has its advantages and disadvantages. With the aim of giving a more specific description of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, the authors, within the framework of this section, conduct a more detailed study of this aspect, based on one of the methods of strategic planning – SWOT analysis.

However, before proceeding directly to the analysis itself, let us turn to the theoretical aspect. A.S. Akhremenko, in his work "Political analysis and Forecasting", says that, according to his initial settings, SWOT analysis is a client-oriented method: the study of the situation takes place "from the point of view" of a particular actor. The name of the method is an abbreviation of four English words: Strength – strengths; Weakness – weaknesses; Opportunities – opportunities; Threats – threats. Strengths and weaknesses are mainly related to the positivity and negativity of the resource base of a political actor…The second two positions – opportunities and threats – are mainly related to the structuring of the situation and environmental factors. ^[17].

Emet Gurel, in the work "SWOT analysis: A theoretical review", positions SWOT analysis as a tool used for strategic planning and strategic management in organizations…In accordance with the systematic approach, organizations are united into a single whole…In this sense, the organization exists in two environments: internal and external…The process of studying an organization and its environment is called SWOT analysis. ^[18].

Having considered the theoretical component, we will conduct a SWOT analysis of the Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking States in the four above-mentioned areas:

- Strengths. Speaking about the strengths of the CPLP, it should be noted that the basis of the organization is a developed linguistic and cultural policy, which creates a space within the Commonwealth for the use of a common language, practices, values, etc. An important factor is that the CPLP represents a strong forum that connects, through its policy, Portuguese-speaking countries separated by geographical space, but united by language and cultural heritage. The organization's activities are actively encouraged at the expense of public and private organizations, which helps it maintain and develop many aspects, such as education, economics, health, etc. Finally, within the framework of the CPLP, regular cooperation is maintained with many state institutions of the participating countries, such as courts, central banks, trade unions, universities, etc. ^[19].

- Weaknesses. Considering the weaknesses of the organization, let us turn to the 14th Conference of Heads of State and Government, which was held on August 27, 2023 in Sao Tome. During the conference, Ana Lucia Sa, a professor at the University of Lisbon, said that at the present stage the organization's activities are very formal and it is not known "how this can be beneficial to the population of these countries." Thus, one of the main problems is the lack of mobility between states, since the CPLP's long-standing initiative to create an "internal passport of the commonwealth" is fraught with many failures and has not yet been implemented. The professor also noted that despite the fact that "many people talk about the connection of member countries with regional institutions, which they include, for example, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique and the Southern African Development Community or Brazil and MERCOSUR, there is still no common strategy for the entire Commonwealth, which is another weak side of the CPLP. The undoubted problem is the passivity of the organization, which consists in "complete passivity in relation to the field of human rights violations. Thus, control mechanisms do not in any way counteract, for example, drug trafficking within Member States. The financial component remains the most serious problem of the CPLP, since most of the organization's participants are on the list of poor countries in the world. ^[20].

- Opportunities. Despite the range of problems, the CPLP has a number of opportunities to strengthen cooperation between Portuguese-speaking countries on different continents, thanks to the observer status assigned to the UN organization in the framework of General Assembly resolution 59/21 on cooperation between the United Nations and the CPLP. The organization is also able to enhance the ability of each participant to protect their interests through treaties concluded between the Commonwealth and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as to increase the security and stability of the participating States by concluding military treaties between them. For example, within the framework of the organization, the joint Lusophone FELINO forces were created, whose exercises have become traditional for the CPLP member states. ^[21].

- Threats. The main threat to the organization is a number of problems in forming a comprehensive concept on the main legal directions in accordance with legal norms, since the member countries of the organization are also members of other integration associations, which imposes severe restrictions on the organization's activities. ^[21].

Based on the conducted research, we will draw up a SWOT analysis scheme that includes all of the above facts about the organization according to the sequence specified by the specifics of the selected analysis option. (Graph 1).

conclusion

The CPLP helped 9 countries, with a population of about 300 million people, unite into a Commonwealth and increased their importance in the international arena. Political and diplomatic relations have strengthened, economic and cultural ties have expanded. Ties have deepened in the fields of education, justice, health, use and protection of natural resources, energy, construction, transport, new technologies, social communications, science, etc. The issue of visa-free entry into the territories of the CPLP countries continues to be resolved.

However, the community also has a range of problems. Thus, in early October, the EU notified Portugal of the opening of legal proceedings in connection with the violation of the visa and residence issuance process for CPLP citizens (Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, Mozambique, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea).

The Portuguese Government, however, confirmed its decision to continue promoting the adopted policy on "mobility" for citizens of the Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking Countries. Manuel Allegro, an outstanding writer, and, until recently, Vice-President of the National Assembly of Portugal stated: "Before becoming a state, Portugal was a language. As before the colonized countries became independent states, the poems of their founders were written in Portuguese." "Poets founded nations. The people founded the language. Language founded nations."

Language is a great power. The language uniting peoples and their destinies helps the Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking Countries to actively pursue their policies and participate in the construction and development of a global diplomatic metamorphosis and modeling of international relations based on the principles of sovereign equality and respect for human rights.