At the forty second session of the General Conference, held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, on November 20, 2023, a big decision was made: Bahasa Indonesia was granted official language status inside the UNESCO General Conference. This milestone was marked by the unanimous adoption of resolution 42 C/28. This recognition elevates Bahasa Indonesia to the esteemed position of the tenth official language recognized by the UNESCO General Conference.
It joins the six official languages of the United Nations (English, Arabic, Mandarin, French, Spanish, Russian), in addition to Hindi, Italian and Portuguese. Ambassador Mohamad Oemar, Indonesia’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, spearheaded this proposal, emphasizing the historical importance of Bahasa Indonesia as a unifying force since pre-independence, with its roots notably dating back to the Youth Pledge (Sumpah Pemuda) of 1928. Bahasa Indonesia, which is used over 275 million people, have crossed borders, serving as a binding force amongst Indonesia’s diverse ethnic groups.
It features prominently in curricula in 52 countries world wide, with an estimated 150,000 foreign students. Ambassador Oemar highlighted Indonesia’s lively global leadership, citing key moments corresponding to the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung, which laid the foundations for the Non-Aligned Movement. Highlighting Indonesia’s commitment to contributing globally, Ambassador Oemar referred to its role as Chair of the G20 in 2022 and ASEAN in 2023.
He further emphasized the importance of promoting Bahasa Indonesia as a part of Indonesia’s global efforts to foster interconnectivity amongst nations, strengthen cooperation with UNESCO and support international cultural development. He concluded by stating that the popularity of Bahasa Indonesia because the official language of the UNESCO General Conference will promote peace, harmony and the achievement of sustainable development goals, each within the country and on the earth.
The initiative of the Government of Indonesia is consistent with Art. 44 section 1 of Law No. 24 of 2009, which requires the strengthening of the international role of Bahasa Indonesia. This proposal represents a deliberate effort to secure Bahasa Indonesia as an official language inside a world institution, constructing on the Indonesian government’s establishment of Indonesian-speaking communities in 52 countries.
