India’s Contribution for Hindi @ UN project

May 13, 2022

India has contributed $800,000 to the Hindi@UN project to encourage the use of Hindi in the United Nations (UN).

What is the ‘Hindi @ UN’ project?

It is a project launched by the Government of India in collaboration with the UN Department of Public Information in 2018.

What is the objective of the ‘Hindi @ UN’ project?

To enhance the public outreach of the United Nations (UN) in Hindi. This helps in spreading awareness about global issues among the Hindi-speaking population.

What are the other efforts taken by the Indian government to promote Hindi at the UN?

Since 2018, India is providing a voluntary financial contribution to the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UN DGC) to mainstream its news content in Hindi. News of the United Nations is being disseminated in Hindi since 2018 through the United Nations website and social media handles. Further, every week, a UN News-Hindi audio bulletin (UN Radio) is released.

Is Hindi the official language at the United Nations?

No. However, India is making efforts to get Hindi recognized as the official United Nations language.

What are the official languages of the United Nations?

Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. These six languages are used in UN meetings and in these six languages all official UN documents are written.

What are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat?

English and French are the two working languages used by the United Nations Secretariat.

Which other language used in India is being proposed as the UN official language?

Bengali. In 2009, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister argued at the UN General Assembly session that Bengali should be made one of the official languages of the UN. The Indian state of West Bengal has passed a resolution in this regard.