The official languages of the UN are the most influential in the international arena. They are consumed by about three billion people in everyday speech. This article will talk about the use of these languages in the activities of this authoritative world organization.
Which languages are official
The list of official languages of the UN includes:
- Arabic (the modern standard of Arabic).
- English (British English with Oxford spelling).
- French.
- Russian language.
- Chinese (based on simplified characters).
- Spanish.
Their choice as workers is due to their prevalence in the world and great influence.
Use of languages in the work of UN bodies
These languages are used at various UN thematic sessions, for example, at sessions of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Security Council. Any representative of the state may speak any of these six languages or may speak any other. Moreover, his speech should be translated into one of these six languages with the help of a professional translator. The United Nations provides simultaneous translation from one of the official languages to the other five through the translation service.
The six official languages also publish all official international documentation. Until the legal act is translated into all six languages, it cannot be published. Typically, the texts of documents are equivalent in authority.
The problem of language equality
The United Nations has been criticized for using too much of the English language and insufficient use of the other five. Hispanic countries officially brought this issue to the attention of the Secretary-General in 2001. Secretary General Kofi Annan then stated that the use of all official languages was not possible within the current financial constraints, but nevertheless attached great importance to improving the language balance. In 2008-2009, General Assembly resolutions urged the Secretariat to respect language equality, especially when disseminating publicly relevant information.
In 2007, in certain reports concerning UN human resources management, the General Assembly emphasized the great importance of the equality of UN languages. The need was announced that people who knew any of the six UN languages were hired, unless the functions of this position required knowledge of a particular working language.
One of the Secretary-General's reports on linguistic diversity was published in the fall of 2010. In response to this report, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on linguistic diversity, in which it again called on the Secretary-General to ensure that all six official languages receive equally equal and adequate conditions. The resolution noted with concern that the development of the UN multilingual information site was much slower than expected.
The influence of the UN working languages
The six official languages spoken by UN representatives are native to 2.8 billion people on the planet, that is, almost half of the world's population. These languages are spoken in more than half of the countries of the world (about a hundred). The four official UN languages are used mainly in Europe, as well as in North and South America - Russian, English, French, and Spanish. Chinese is part of the Sino-Tibetan language group. It is the most common on the planet.Arabic is a Semitic language and is widely spoken in the Middle East.
One of the largest international organizations after the UN is the Commonwealth of Nations, which has only one official language - English. All other international institutions in the field of trade, transport and sports usually have one or several languages as workers. Usually it is English as well as French. Regional organizations usually choose the most common language in their midst. For example, standard Arabic is commonly used in all Muslim countries.
UN language dates
The secretariat of the international organization is constantly improving the balance of the official languages of the UN. Days when they are celebrated in the world:
- Arabic Day: December 18 (the date the United Nations General Assembly established Arabic as the sixth official language in 1973).
- Chinese Day: April 20, the day of the veneration of Tsang Jie in China, one of the creators of Chinese writing.
- English Day: April 23 (the expected birthday of William Shakespeare).
- French Day: March 20 (corresponds to the international day of Francophones).
- Russian Language Day: June 6 (Alexander Pushkin's birthday).
- Date of the Spanish language: October 12 (celebrated in the Spanish-speaking world as "The Day of All Speakers of Spanish."