Jakarta, November 21 (AseanAll) — 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 November 20, 2023 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.
Oemar noted that more than 275 million people speak the Indonesian language. The curriculum of the language has entered 52 countries, and currently, at least 150 thousand foreign speakers actively use it.
"Indonesia's active leadership at the global level began at the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung in 1955, which became the seed for the formation of the non-aligned countries' group. Indonesia has a strong commitment to continue its leadership and positive contribution to the world," he remarked.
Oemar noted that the contribution was marked by the collaboration with other countries in addressing global challenges through Indonesia's G20 presidency in 2022 and ASEAN chairmanship in 2023.
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.
