Indonesian was recently designated as an official language at the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The designation was made on November 20, 2023, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. This makes Indonesian become the 10th language to be recognized by the UNESCO General Conference. The other nine recognized languages are English, Arabic, Mandarin, French, Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Italian and Portuguese.Â
The designation of Indonesian as an official language of UNESCO can increase global interconnectivity, strengthen cooperation with UNESCO, and strengthen Indonesia's commitment to international cultural development. The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to France-Andorra-Monaco, Mohamad Oemar, believes that this recognition will have a positive impact on peace, harmony, and sustainable development goals at the national and global levels. It also marks an important milestone for the preservation of the Indonesian language. Therefore, we as Indonesians should be proud and continue to preserve the Indonesian language. We can do this by using Indonesian properly and correctly in speaking and writing, avoiding things that can damage the language, and using it as a widely accepted communication tool.
