Bahasa Indonesia Officially Used at UNESCO General Conference for the First Time
Samarkand. A historic moment unfolded at the 43rd General Conference of UNESCO in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, as the Indonesian language was officially used as a working language for the first time.
The announcement came from Education Minister Abdul Mu’ti, who delivered Indonesia’s national statement on Tuesday.
Mu’ti began his speech with a pantun, a traditional form of Indonesian oral poetry recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage on December 17, 2020.
During his address, the minister expressed gratitude to UNESCO and its member states for recognizing Bahasa Indonesia as the 10th working language of the UNESCO General Conference on November 20, 2023.
He highlighted the unifying role of Bahasa Indonesia in a nation comprising over 17,000 islands, 700 local languages, and 1,300 ethnic groups.
“Today, the Indonesian language reaffirms its global presence as a bridge of knowledge among nations,” Mu’ti said.
Bahasa Indonesia is spoken by an estimated 200–230 million people worldwide (native + second-language speakers), placing it among the top 10 most spoken languages on earth.
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