FIT Timeline

Creation of the Fédération internationale des traducteurs – International Federation of Translators (FIT) in Paris under the auspices of UNESCO. The founder members – six national associations of translators and interpreters – represented the following countries: Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, Federal Republic of Germany and Turkey.

I^st FIT World Congress (Paris, 18-22 December).
Theme: Drafting an Activity Plan.

Foundation of BABEL, International Journal of Translation (quarterly journal devoted to information and research in the field of translation), with the assistance of UNESCO.

II^nd FIT World Congress (Rome 27 February to 3 March).
Themes: Intellectual property rights of the translator and International co-operation in the field of terminology.
International Round Table of translators from countries in Asia and the Middle East (New Delhi, 21-21 November).
Adoption of an international recommendation to promote translation and the professional status of translators in Asia.

Round Table on issues of the training and qualifying of translators (Luxembourg, 30-31 May) in collaboration with the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community.
Adoption of recommendation to encourage working together in the area of training translators and terminology research.
International Round Table of Translators (Warsaw, 2-8 July).

III^rd FIT World Congress (Bad Godesberg, 27 July to 1 August).
Theme: Quality in Translation.

IV^th FIT World Congress (Dubrovnik, 31 August to 7 September).
Themes: Tenth anniversary of FIT – Continued Co-operation with UNESCO.
Recommendation relating to the training of translators and drafting criteria affirming, internationally and nationally, the qualities required to be able to effectively fulfil the task of specialised translator.
Adoption of the Translator's Charter setting forth general guidelines and recommendations in the area of the translator's rights and obligations.

V^th FIT World Congress (Lahti, Finland, 7-13 August).
Themes: Recommendations on literary translation, qualification criteria to promote translator training on terminology research and documentation and on the intellectual property rights of the translator.
Setting up Task Forces.

Foundation of the Nathhorst Prize (literary translation and scientific and technical translation) under the auspices of the Carl Bertil Nathhorst Foundation for Science and Public Utility (Sweden).

VI^th FIT World Congress (Stuttgart, 27-31 July) + Statutory Congress.
UNESCO recognises FIT as a category A non-governmental organisation, which ensures that FIT will be consulted on any issue relating to translation discussed by the UNESCO authorities.

VII^th FIT World Congress (Nice, France, 9-13 May).
Theme: Translation, Connecting Nations.

Adoption of the international recommendation on "THE LEGAL PROTECTION OF TRANSLATORS AND TRANSLATIONS AND ON THE PRACTICAL MEANS TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF TRANSLATORS", on the occasion of the UNESCO General Conference (Nairobi, 22 November), by 143 member countries of UNESCO.

VIII^th FIT World Congress (Montreal, 12-13 May).
Theme: Translating – a Profession.

Celebration of the 25^th Anniversary FIT in Paris.

FIT-UNESCO international colloquium (Sofia, 16-18 October) on Translation and International Cultural Co-operation.

Foundation of the Astrid Lindgren Prize for translation of books for children and young people.
Creation of the FIT commemorative medal in memory of Pierre-François Caillé.

IX^th FIT World Congress (Warsaw, 6-13 May).
Theme: The Mission of the Translator Today and Tomorrow.

Round Table (Lomé, 25-27 October) on "Problems of Literary Translation in Africa", with UNESCO support.

Round Table (Paris, 17-19 March) on "Translation in the System of Foreign Language Training", with the assistance of UNESCO.
Adoption of an international recommendation on the professional profile of translators and interpreters and guidelines on training and qualifying of translators and interpreters.

X^th FIT World Congress (Vienna, 17-23 August).
Theme: Translators and their Position in Society.

Round Table (Paris, 24-25 March) on "Literary Translation – Practice and Prospects", with the assistance of UNESCO.
Founding of the FIT North American Regional Centre and 1st North American Translators' Congress (Mexico, 25-28 March).

Round Table (Frankfurt, 23-24 January) on the "Status and Profile of the Translator and Interpreter", with UNESCO support.
XI^th FIT World Congress (Maastricht, 20-27 August).
Theme: Translation. Our Future.

Round Table (Seoul, 28 August to 2 September) on "Literary Translation", with the assistance of PEN Club and UNESCO.

Round Table (Tangiers, Morocco 1-3 June) on "Problems of Professional Translation in the Arab World and the Contribution of Technology", with support from UNESCO and the École supérieure Roi Fahd de traduction.
Round Table (Dar es Salaam, 28-30 August) on "Problems of Translation in Africa", with UNESCO support.
Second North American Translators' Congress (Washington, 9-11 October).

XII^th FIT World Congress (Belgrade, 2-9 August).
Theme: Translation, a Creative Profession.
Creation of Best Periodical Prize.

Round Table (Moscow, 26-27 February) on "Literature and Translation, Theory Problems", with the assistance of UNESCO and the Literary Council of the Writers' union of the USSR.
Establishment of International Translation Day on 30 September.
Round Table (Buenos Aires, 1-2 November) on "Translation in Latin America", with the assistance of 'UNESCO and the Colegio de Traductores Públicos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

Third North American Translators' Congress (Montreal, 27-29 May) on "Translating in North America – A Community of Interests".
Round Table (Dobríš, Czechoslovakia, 25-27 September) on "Literary Translation and Copyright", with the assistance of various member associations and UNESCO.
International Conference (Moscow, 1-3 October) on "General Theory and Teaching of Translation and Poetry Translation Theory", with the assistance of Moscow Linguistics University.

XIII^th FIT World Congress (Brighton, 6-13 August).
Theme: Translation – The Vital Link.

Round Table (Strasbourg, 22-24 June) on "Audio Visual Communication and Language Transfer", with the assistance of the Council of Europe and UNESCO.
1^st Asian Translation Forum (Beijing, 31 July-3 August).

XIV^th FIT World Congress (Melbourne, 9-16 February).
Theme: New Horizons.
Fourth North American Regional Centre Congress (Colorado Springs, 27-29 October).
Foundation of the FIT Regional Centre Europe.

Second Asian Translation Forum (Seoul, 31 July to 3 August).
Fifth North American Regional Centre Congress (Ottawa, 27-29 September).

XV^th FIT World Congress (Mons, 3-10 August).
Theme: Translation – Transition.

Third Asian Translation Forum (Hong Kong, 4-8 December).

Sixth International Forum on Legal Translation and Court Interpreting (Paris, 12-14 June).
XVI^th FIT World Congress (Vancouver, 3-10 August).
Theme: Translation: New Ideas for a New Century.

Foundation of the FIT Regional Centre Latin America in Buenos Aires (2 May).
50th Anniversary of FIT in UNESCO Paris (20-22 November).

XVII^th FIT World Congress (Tampere, Finland 8-10 August).
Theme: Rights On!

First international meeting of the Regional Centre Latin America (CRAL-FIT) on "Translation and Interculturality" (La Antigua, Guatemala, 25-27 May).

XVIII^th FIT World Congress (Shanghai, China 2-7 August).
Theme: Translation and Cultural Diversity.