Jakarta (Antara) – The Indonesian language was designated as the official language of the UNESCO General Assembly during the plenary session of the 42nd session of the General Assembly of UNESCO in Paris on Monday.
Besides English, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, French, Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Italian and Portuguese, Indonesian is recognized as the 10th official language of the UNESCO General Assembly.
„Indonesian language has been the unifying force of the country since the pre-independence period, especially through the Youth Pledge in 1928, so it is able to connect the different ethnic groups in Indonesia,” noted Indonesian Ambassador to France, Andorra and Monaco, Mohammad Omar. report on Monday.
This recognition was marked by the adoption of resolution 42 C/28 by consensus during the plenary session.
Omar noted that more than 275 million people speak Indonesian. 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 creation of the Non-Aligned Movement. Indonesia has a strong commitment to continue its leadership and positive contribution to the world,” he noted.
Omar noted that this contribution is marked by cooperation with other countries in addressing global challenges through Indonesia’s G20 presidency in 2022 and ASEAN chairmanship in 2023.
He emphasized that this recognition will increase awareness of the Indonesian language and contribute to fostering communication between countries, strengthening cooperation with UNESCO, and is part of Indonesia’s commitment to cultural development at the global level.
„Recognizing Indonesian as an official language of the UNESCO General Assembly will have a positive impact on peace, harmony and the achievement of sustainable development goals not only at the national level, but worldwide,” he affirmed.
The Indonesian government’s effort to propose Indonesian as the official language of the convention fulfills the mandate of Law No. 24 of 44 of 2009, paragraph 1, which states, „The government shall gradually, systematically and steadily increase the function of the Indonesian language as an international language.”
This proposal is a legitimate attempt to make Indonesian an official language of an international organization. In terms of practical effort, the Indonesian government has created communities of Indonesian speakers in 52 countries.
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