THE national language of Indonesia, Bahasa Indonesia, has been accorded official language status at the UNESCO General Conference.
This decision was made during the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference on Nov 20, adding Bahasa Indonesia as the 10th official language alongside English, Hindi, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, French, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.
Mohamad Oemar, the Indonesian Ambassador to France, Andorra and Monaco, as well as the Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, highlighted that Bahasa Indonesia is spoken by over 275 million people and is utilised in the curriculum of 52 countries with at least 150,000 foreign speakers.
He emphasised the significance of raising awareness about Bahasa Indonesia and expressed optimism that its recognition will contribute to peace, harmony and the global achievement of sustainable development goals.
This acknowledgement is expected to enhance Indonesia’s standing, emphasising the nation’s dedication to global cultural development.
According to Oemar, the Indonesian language has historically served as a unifying factor, notably through events like the Youth Pledge in 1928, connecting diverse ethnicities within Indonesia.
