Month: October 2026

The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) marked its 30th anniversary with the conference CPLP 30 Years – A Community of Language and a Shared Future, held at Centro Cultural de Belém on 8 October.

 

Organised by Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the event was attended by the President of Portugal, António José Seguro; the Executive Secretary of the CPLP, Maria de Fátima Jardim; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, representing the organisation’s current presidency. Portugal’s Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, presided over the closing session.

 

Under the theme “Unity in Diversity, A Community for its Peoples”, the celebrations highlighted the institutional, cultural, social and human ties that bring Portuguese-speaking countries closer together.

 

The programme included discussions on the organisation’s political and diplomatic history, the Portuguese language as a global asset and current geopolitical challenges. The event was concluded with the launch of a commemorative postal stationery item marking the CPLP’s 30th anniversary.

 

Founded in 1996, the organisation brings together nine member States and promotes cooperation in areas such as culture, education and development, strengthening ties between the peoples of the Lusophone world.

Centro Cultural de Belém has joined the Portuguese Climate Refuge Network | Stay Cool, an initiative by Turismo de Portugal aimed at strengthening the protection of residents and visitors during periods of extreme heat by providing welcoming spaces that offer thermal comfort.

 

By joining the initiative, CCB becomes part of a national network of spaces that contribute to climate change adaptation, offering people places where to find shelter and greater comfort on particularly hot days.

 

Participation in this initiative reinforces CCB’s commitment to hospitality, accessibility and the well-being of its audiences, reaffirming its role as a cultural venue open to the city, attentive to the needs of its visitors and mindful of today’s environmental challenges.

 

The Climate Refuge Network | Stay Cool already has 95 registered venues across the country, bringing together different organisations in a joint effort to protect communities and to promote more sustainable and resilient tourism.

 

Participating venues can be found on the initiative’s official platform at refugiosclimaticos.turismodeportugal.pt/index-en.