Bahasa Indonesia Named UNESCO General Conference Official Language
the UNESCO
The Indonesian language Bahasa Indonesia has been designated as the official language of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conference.
This decision was marked by the adoption of Resolution 42 C/28 by consensus at the 42nd UNESCO General Conference Plenary Session on Monday (11/20) at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.
Indonesian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the French Republic accredited to the Principality of Andorra, the Principality of Monaco and the UNESCO Mohamad Oemar stated in his presentation of the country’s proposal that Bahasa Indonesia has been a uniting force for the nation since pre-independence, especially through the Youth Pledge in 1928.
“With its role as a link between various ethnicities in Indonesia, Bahasa Indonesia—with more than 275 million speakers—has also traveled the world, with the inclusion of the Indonesian language curricula in 52 countries around the world with at least 150,000 foreign speakers currently,” Oemar added.
Oemar also underscored that increasing awareness of Indonesian language is part of the country’s global efforts to develop connectivity between nations, strengthen cooperation with UNESCO, and reinforce commitment to cultural development at the international level.
“The recognition of Bahasa Indonesia as the official language of the UNESCO General Conference will bring positive impact on peace, harmony, and the achievement of SDGs, not only at the national level, but also throughout the globe,” Oemar remarked.
For the record, Indonesian is the 10th language recognized as the official language of the UNESCO General Conference, in addition to the six official UN languages (English, Arabic, Mandarin, French, Spanish, Russian), as well as Hindi, Italian and Portuguese.
The designation will place Bahasa Indonesia as one of the language of the plenary session. In addition, General Conference documents can also be translated into the Indonesian language. (PR of Ministry of Foreign Affairs/UN) (GWH/EP)
