section-events – International Federation of Translators

International Translation Day 2026

Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights

Registration opens soon. Stay tuned!

Where: Online, ZOOM
When: 29 September 2026

The power of being understood

The poster is available for download under Creative Commons licence.
Share or print the poster for use in your ITD celebrations.
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The theme of the International Translation Day 2026 webinar is “Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights” – Translation, interpreting and terminology at the heart of linguistic inclusion, with “the power of being understood” as subtitle.

It is a timely and highly relevant theme for International Translation Day (ITD) 2026, highlighting the essential role of translation, interpreting, and terminology in fostering inclusion, equity, and participation in an increasingly interconnected world.

Linguistic diversity

Linguistic diversity is a defining feature of humanity and a cornerstone of cultural identity, social cohesion, and democratic life. Yet many languages remain marginalised, under resourced, or at risk of disappearing. This theme foregrounds the need to protect linguistic plurality while recognising that language rights can only be upheld when supported by professional language services. Translation and interpreting are indispensable to ensuring that linguistic diversity is not merely acknowledged, but actively sustained.

Language rights

Language rights are fundamental human rights. They include the right to access information, justice, education, healthcare, and public services in a language one understands, as well as the right to preserve and transmit linguistic and cultural heritage. These rights, however, cannot be realised without translation and interpreting. Professional translators and interpreters transform legal recognition into practical access, enabling individuals and communities to participate fully in social, civic, and institutional life. Translation is therefore not subordinate to language rights, but their operational foundation. International Translation Day provides a unique opportunity to recognise translators, interpreters, and terminologists as key actors in promoting linguistic diversity and equality.

Human language professionals

Through their work in legal, medical, educational, diplomatic, and humanitarian contexts, language rights help prevent language-based exclusion and ensure that multilingualism in public institutions and international organisations is functional, inclusive, and effective. The theme also draws attention to persistent imbalances in the global circulation of languages, particularly in the context of technological development. While advances in artificial intelligence have expanded multilingual communication, they have also highlighted disparities between high-resource and low-resource languages.

Human language professionals remain essential in safeguarding quality, ethics, and inclusion. By adopting this theme, FIT affirms translation, interpreting, and terminology as professions central to human rights, cultural sustainability, and democratic participation. The theme underscores a simple but powerful truth: linguistic diversity can only thrive where language rights are respected. Language rights are effectively realised through translation.

Voices of Humanity

This concept presents a human-centered interpretation of the International Translation Day 2026 theme by emphasizing the people and communities whose identities, voices, and experiences are connected through language. The composition features layered human silhouettes representing cultural diversity, multilingual societies, and the inclusivity promoted through translation and interpreting services. The overlapping forms symbolize coexistence, dialogue, and the interconnected nature of global communities, reinforcing the idea that language rights belong to everyone regardless of background, nationality, or language. The gradual transitions between the figures visually communicate understanding, accessibility, and the flow of communication across linguistic boundaries. By focusing entirely on human forms rather than technological or abstract systems, the concept highlights the essential role of language professionals in preserving meaning, representation, and equitable participation in society.

The FIT blue palette strengthens institutional identity while creating a calm and unified visual atmosphere associated with trust, professionalism, and global connection. Soft gradients and luminous overlays add depth and warmth, symbolizing empathy, inclusion, and the transformative power of being understood. Overall, the concept reflects the values of diversity, human centricity, and inclusion by portraying. translation as a bridge that connects individuals, protects cultural identity, and enables voices from all communities to be seen, heard, and understood.

Panelists

– Mr. Fan Lijun, Director of the Language Division at World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Fan Lijun

– Dr. Hamdah bint Abdullah Alghamdi, Dean of the College of Languages at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hamdah Alghamdi

– Dr. Fabio Bisogni, President of the Board of Directors at the Università degli Studi Internazionali di Roma (UNINT), Italy. Fabio Bisogni

– Mr. Conrad Nied, Director of Engineering at Translation Commons and the Vice Chair for Unicode CLDR’s Digitally Disadvantaged Languages initiative. Conrad Nied

Prepared and organized by: FIT External Partnerships Standing Committee

Themes and posters of previous years

ITD 2025: Translation, shaping a future you can trust

ITD 2024: Translation, an art worth protecting

ITD 2023: Translation unveils the many faces of humanity

ITD 2019: Translation and Indigenous Languages

When Home Becomes a Crisis Setting: Language Access and Support in Domestic Violence Settings

This webinar will be conducted only in English. No interpreting services will be provided.
Ce webinaire se déroulera uniquement en anglais. Aucun service d’interprétation ne sera fourni.
Este seminario web se celebrará únicamente en inglés. No habrá servicios de interpretación.

Where:

Date:

Online, ZOOM

6 June 2026
8-10 PM CEST (Paris)

Indigenous Languages and New Pathways: Terminology, Technology, and Education

Where:

Date:

Online, ZOOM

16 May 2026
4-6 PM CET (Paris)

Explore how Indigenous, African, and Caucasian language communities are shaping new futures through technology, education, and community-led innovation. Featuring speakers and practitioners working with nêhiyawêwin (Cree), Mayan languages, African languages, and Indigenous and minority languages of the North Caucasus, this international panel highlights emerging pathways in language revitalization, terminology development, accessibility, and knowledge sharing.

International Translation Day 2025 Webinar

Join us for our International Translation Day 2025 Webinar, featuring a panel discussion and Q&A

Where:

Date:

Online – ZOOM

Monday, September 29, 2025
2pm Paris (UTC+2)
8am New York
8pm Beijing
10pm Sydney

Theme: Celebrating Translation, Peace and Trust

Organizers: The External Relations Standing Committee of FIT: Alison Rodriguez, Jørgen Christian Wind Nielsen, Olga Egorova, Viktorija Osolnik Kunc

In turbulent times, where peace often hangs in the balance and global communications and relations are infiltrated by a lack of trust, the ITD 2025 theme highlights the important role of human trust. Specifically, the role of translators, interpreters and terminologists in ensuring trustworthy communication, building dialogue and trust between parties and providing oversight to AI-generated text and machine translation.

“AI and the Trust Equation: Rethinking Education and Training in the Age of Intelligent Systems”

How do we ensure translators, interpreters and terminologists are not just surviving the AI shift — they’re actively shaping a trustworthy future for the profession.

This webinar explores the effects of AI on training for the profession, and how educators can equip the next generation of translators and interpreters to master AI tools, uphold professional ethics, and remain essential voices in shaping a multilingual, trustworthy future.

Panelists

Ms. Mariachiara Russo, Professor of Spanish Linguistics and Interpretation at the Department of Interpreting and Translation (DIT) of the University of Bologna at Forlì, Rector’s Delegate for Multilingualism. Mariachiara Russo

Mr. Juan Carlos Jiménez Marín, Director General for DG Logistics and interpretation for Conferences in the European Parliament. Juan Carlos Jiménez Marín

Mr. Phillip Bimstein, alternative classical composer, ex-mayor, punk rocker, Professor in the University of Utah’s Honors College. Phillip Bimstein

Ms. Irene A. Zhang, Professor, Dean, Graduate Institute of Interpretation and Translati on, Shanghai International Studies University. Irene A. Zhang

Statutory Congress 2025

The XXIII FIT Statutory Congress took place at the headquarters of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland, on 2–3 September 2025. Delegates from member associations representing translators, interpreters and terminologists from all corners of the world gathered to review the past mandate, address the challenges ahead, and reflect on the future of the profession and the Federation.

Download the Press Release :: Communiqué de presse :: Comunicado de prensa

The Congress warmly thanked the outgoing Council 2022-2025 for its outstanding work over the past three years, particularly for the creation of two regional centres in Africa and Asia. These centres will continue to strengthen FIT’s global presence and provide direct support to member associations across the regions.

After addressing key governance matters, the Congress placed its trust in a newly elected FIT Council for the 2025–2028 mandate. Through their vote, the members entrusted the new Council with the responsibility of setting a clear mission, vision and objectives for the coming years. The mandate is clear: the Federation must adapt to a rapidly changing environment, respond to the urgent priorities expressed by its members, and reaffirm its role as the global voice of the profession. The following Council will serve until the next Statutory Congress in 2028:

Executive Committee

Guillaume Deneufbourg – CBTI Belgium, President
Laurinda Cecilia Van Tonder – SATI South Africa, Secretary General
María Galán Barrera – ASETRAD Spain, Treasurer
Roula Salam – ATIA Canada, Vice-president
Alfred Mtawali – EAITA Kenya, Vice-president
Xu Rong – TAC China, Vice-president
Mary Ann Elsa Monteagudo Medina – CTP Peru, EC Member

Council members

Hasuria Che Omar – MTA Malaysia
Heidi Cazes – NETA United States
Isabelle Poff-Pencole – NZSTI New Zealand
Jørgen Christian Wind Nielsen – DACTI Denmark
Lorena Susana Roqué – CTPCBA Argentina
Te Tumatakuru O’Connell – TKWh New Zealand
Tiina Tuominen – SKTL Finland
Victor Hugo Sajoza Juric – CTPPC Argentina
Victoria Lai Cheng Lei – FTIM Macao
Zsuzsanna Lakatos-Báldy – MFTE Hungary

A diverse team facing major challenges
During his speech, incoming FIT President Guillaume Deneufbourg underlined both the diversity and the responsibility of the new governing body: “This Council is among the most diverse in the history of FIT: from New Zealand to Argentina, from South Africa to Finland, and so many more in between. We truly represent the world.” He also highlighted the urgency of the tasks ahead: “Our mission is enormous. We represent a profession that is essential, yet going through difficult times. Balancing fewer resources with greater needs will be our greatest challenge — but one we are ready to take on, together, as a team, with pride and confidence in what we do and who we are.”

The coming three years will be crucial to ensuring that FIT continues to defend the interests of translators, interpreters and terminologists worldwide, while making their vital contribution to multilingual communication and cultural dialogue visible to all.

The Statutory Congress was followed by the XXIII FIT World Congress, which brought together around 400 participants for three days of inspiring sessions. Prestigious speakers from across the globe shared their expertise and perspectives under the theme “Mastering the machine: shaping an intelligent future”, offering a vibrant programme that reflected the richness and diversity of the profession worldwide.

As the new Council embarks on this exciting and demanding road, FIT looks forward to the active engagement and support of its member associations to ensure the Federation grows stronger and continues to serve as the global voice of our profession.

World Congress 2028

The next FIT Statutory and World Congress will be hosted in Lima, Peru, by the Colegio de Traductores del Perú in 2028.

FIT Council 2025-2028

FIT Executive Committee Council 2025-2028

Photo credits: Mr Anming Gao & Ms Reina de Bettendorf

International Translation Day 2025

Celebrating Translation, Peace and Trust

Watch the full panel discussion on our YouTube channel

Translation, shaping a future you can trust.

In its Resolution for 2025 The Year of Peace and Trust, the UN General Assembly further recognised the need to prevent and resolve conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. While the interpreters in global negotiations may not be visible, we know that such high-stakes conversations could not happen without them and could certainly not be entrusted to technology.

The theme also echoes the 2017 UN resolution A/RES/71/288 declaring 30 September an official UN International Day to be celebrated across the entire UN global network, honouring the contribution of professional translators, interpreters and terminologists in connecting nations, and fostering peace and global development.

As it has each year, for over 35 years, FIT Council encourages members to use our annual theme as the basis for their ITD celebrations. Additionally, the FIT External Partnerships Standing Committee invites you to celebrate with FIT online at our annual ITD webinar on September 29, 2025.

International Translation Day

Each year, translators, interpreters and terminologists celebrate International Translation Day on 30 September, the feast of St. Jerome. A unifying theme is chosen each year and a competition is held to design a poster for FIT members to print and use to promote the day and join together in celebrating our professions.

In 2017 we achieved an historical milestone for all professional translators, interpreters and terminologists, with the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopting Resolution A/RES/71/288, recognising the role of professional translation in connecting nations, and fostering peace, understanding and development. In the same resolution, the United Nations General Assembly declared 30 September to be UN International Translation Day, celebrated across the entire UN network.

Themes and posters of previous years

AI and Literary Translation – A Struggle for Copyright

Where:

Date:

Online, ZOOM

18 June 2025
6pm CEST (Paris)

Join us for this joint CEATL–FIT event exploring the impact of AI on literary translation.

German translator André Hansen, co-founder of Kollektive Intelligenz, will discuss the copyright challenges posed by the rapid development of large language models.

CEATL President Francesca Novajra and Andreas Jandl, chair of CEATL’s Authors’ Rights Working Group, will share CEATLs experience advocating for translators in the face of advancing AI.

A brief Q&A will follow the presentations. The webinar will be conducted in English.

The webinar in detail

In his presentation, André Hansen explores what copyright can still offer literary translators
in the face of accelerating AI development. He revisits the historical rationales for copyright,
highlights its benefits and limits for translators, and examines how AI disrupts notions of
authorship and creative agency. Against the backdrop of current EU legislation and strategic
court cases, he critically reflects on common responses—from cultural protectionism to
copyright maximalism—and argues for a strategic reorientation: away from panic and
toward building the creative work environment we really want.

Following Andrés’ expert input, Francesca, representing CEATL as President, and Andreas,
coordinator of CEATL’s Authors’ Rights Working Group, will discuss their advocacy and
educational efforts around AI and translation across diverse European contexts. They will
explore the roles of individual translators and institutions, and present CEATL’s upcoming
campaigns and initiatives for the future.

Our presenters

André Hansen is a literary translator from French, English and Italian to German
and a board member of the German translators’ association VdÜ. He translates
authors such as Nicolas Mathieu, Florence Aubenas, and Thomas Piketty, and is a
co-founder of the project Kollektive Intelligenz (“Aggregate Intelligence”), which
examines the impact of AI on translation practices.

Francesca Novajra is a literary translator working from English, French, and
Portuguese into Italian and a winner of the FIT Astrid Lindgren Prize (2017) for her outstanding work in the translation of children’s literature. She holds degrees in
Translation from the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting in Geneva and in
Interpreting from the University of Trieste. Her professional journey has included
roles as a print production specialist, editorial coordinator for a children’s literature
publisher, and collaborator with a children’s museum. For over twenty-five years,
she has translated fiction and non-fiction for both children and adults. A delegate to
CEATL for the Italian association AITI, she currently serves as CEATL President.

Andreas Jandl translates from French and English into German. His translations
include plays, poetry, non-fiction, and novels by authors such as David Diop, Nicolas
Dickner, Elisa Shua Dusapin, Robert Macfarlane, Gaétan Soucy, and Joséphine
Bacon. In recognition of his body of work, he was awarded the Eugen-Helmlé
Translation Prize in 2021. Since 2024, he has served as the coordinator of CEATL’s
Authors’ Rights Working Group.

Los textos jurídicos en español y su traducción

This webinar will be conducted only in Spanish. No interpreting services will be provided.
Ce webinaire se déroulera uniquement en espagnol. Aucun service d’interprétation ne sera fourni.

Ubicación:

Fecha:

en línea a través de ZOOM

31 de mayo de 2025
16:00 París (UTC+2).

Regístrate ahora

Características del lenguaje jurídico desde una perspectiva lingüística. Herramientas que posibilitan la resolución de problemas de traducción. Identificación de las diferentes ramas del derecho y los sistemas jurídicos del mundo, como así también diversos tipos de textos jurídicos y sus finalidades. Las fases del proceso de traducción. Los métodos de resolución alternativa de conflictos.

Carina A. Barres

Graduada en la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Buenos Aires, como abogada en 1994 y como Traductora Pública en Idioma Portugués en 2002.

Se ha desempeñado como abogada en los ámbitos privado, gubernamental y corporativo y actualmente ejerce la profesión en forma independiente. Ejerce como traductora pública y como perito traductora e intérprete en el Poder Judicial de la República Argentina.

Además, es miembro de la Comisión Permanente de Traducción Jurídica de la FIT.

Indigenous Languages Going Extinct: Psychoneurolinguistic grounds

Where:

Date:

Online – ZOOM

22 April 2025
4:00pm Paris (UTC+2).

Neurolinguistics provides valuable data for revitalizing endangered languages using psychoneurolinguistic strategies. Join us for a webinar that will explore strategies for preventing language attrition through a neurocognitive framework. We will examine the cognitive processes involved in speech production and perception in bilingual and multilingual individuals, focusing on how neurophysiological mechanisms can influence language maintenance and decline.

FEATURING: Dr. Polina Dashinimaeva
Dr. Dashinimaeva is a Doctor of Philology in Linguistics from Irkustk State Linguistic University. She is a professor at Buryat State University and is an Attending Lecturer at Northern Hebei University in China.

FIT Legal Translation Standing Committee: Round Table

Where:

Date:

Online – ZOOM

December 07, 2024
1:00pm Paris (UTC+1).
7am New York
8pm Beijing
11pm Sydney

Download Draft Guidelines

The FIT Legal Translation Standing Committee prepared draft guidelines on court translators and interpreters working conditions. The document is based on the survey of job satisfaction level conducted between court translators and interpreters in 2023. During the round table members of the LTSC will share results of the survey and explain the general concept and purpose of the guidelines. The draft will further be subject to possible amendments based on the feedback collected during the round table.

Download Draft Guidelines

Carina Adriana Barres

Lawyer and Sworn Translator in the National and Federal Courts of the City of Buenos Aires, member of the Association of Sworn Translators of the city of Buenos Aires, the Association of Sworn Translators and Interpreters of the Province of Buenos Aires, the Buenos Aires Bar Association and the American Translators Association.

Claire Richardot

Sworn translator in France, Member of the French Society of Translators and member-expert of its commission on sworn translators and interpreters, member of the French association of expert translators in courts of appeal (UNETICA).

Alexander Larin

PhD in Law, assistant professor, author of the law course for translation students and legal initiatives on sworn translation, Board Member and Chief Legal Officer of the Union of Translators of Russia, CEO of Alba Translating Company