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Why is everything written in English and French at the United Nations?

April 26, 2017English French United Nations written

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Why is everything written in English and French at the United Nations?

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English and French are the two working languages of the United Nations, as decided by the General Assembly in 1946. A second Assembly resolution, adopted on 1 February 1946, outlined the rules of procedure with regard to languages. In that resolution, the Assembly decided that: • In all the organs of the United Nations other than the International Court of Justice, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish shall be the official languages and English and French the working languages. • Speeches made in either of the working languages shall be interpreted into the other working language. • Speeches made in any of the other three official languages shall be interpreted into both working languages. • Any representative may make a speech in a language other than the official languages. In this case he shall himself provide for interpretation into one of the working languages. Interpretation into the other working language by an interpreter of the Secretariat may be based on the interpre