General Assembly Session 54 meeting 70

The President

I call on the representative of France to introduce draft resolution A/54/L.37.

Mr. Dejammet (France)

It is my honour to introduce draft resolution A/54/L.37, on multilingualism, which was circulated on 1 December. The draft resolution is based on resolution 52/23 of 25 November 1997, which the General Assembly adopted by consensus.

I should like to announce that the following countries have joined the 69 original sponsors of the draft resolution: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, the Central African Republic, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Egypt, Germany, India, Italy, Kuwait, Lesotho, Lithuania, Oman, Qatar and Yemen. This brings the total number of sponsors to 88.

The French delegation wishes at the outset to thank the Secretary-General for his excellent report.

The only element of draft resolution A/54/L.37 that differs from the text of resolution 52/23 is paragraph 2, which requests the Secretary-General to appoint a senior Secretariat official as coordinator of questions relating to multilingualism throughout the Secretariat.

Mr. Dejammet (France)

In connection with this simple and very concrete innovation, I would like to make the following brief comments. First of all, the adoption of this draft resolution will have no budgetary implications. It is not a question of recruiting a new official whose role would be to coordinate questions relating to multilingualism; it is a question of appointing from among existing personnel -- in other words, at no extra cost -- an administrator who would serve as a contact point for delegations on questions relating to multilingualism within the Secretariat. I have in mind, inter alia, questions that arise regularly that relate to interpretation, publication of documents in the six official languages, the development of the United Nations Internet site and the training of staff members in the official and working languages. In addition to this official's other activities, he or she would see to it that answers are given to questions raised by delegations in these fields. Since questions that deal with multilingualism relate to many aspects of the functioning of the United Nations, it is important for personnel and delegations concerned about the equitable use of various languages to have a single interlocutor.

This draft, then, is in no way a change in the system now in force in the United Nations. It is completely in line with the constant efforts that have been made since the adoption of the United Nations Charter to maintain parity among the official languages and the working languages of the various organs and to respect the principle of equality of languages. This is one of the elements that gives richness to international life and contributes to the promotion of cultural diversity.

The coordinator of multilingualism will therefore have an important role to play in preparing the report of the Secretary-General that we request for the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly.

This is the objective of the draft resolution before the Assembly today. The list of sponsors of the draft attests to the importance that many Member States attach to this question. Multilingualism is, in fact, one of the key elements of the universal nature of this Organization.

Therefore, in conclusion, I express the hope that our Assembly will adopt the draft resolution by consensus.

Mr. Sulaiman (Syria)

The history of humanity shines with examples of human intellectual creativity. Such creativity reached its highest levels in science and knowledge. A quick overview of history shows that the science and knowledge created by world civilization, both ancient and modern, would not have reached us if not for the repository of knowledge and of the intellect, namely, language.

The languages of humanity have developed and have become varied throughout history. They are and will remain the main means of transmitting ideas and feelings among people. Such multilingualism has been enshrined in the United Nations in order to make sure that the voices of nations and peoples reach each other through language.

My country, Syria, was one of the first cradles of ancient civilizations and languages. The creativity that the first Syrian Phoenicians communicated through language reached the four corners of the world, and has now reached us, thousands of years later. From ancient Syria came the Cadmus alphabet, which developed the Phoenician alphabet and helped in creating the Phoenician language. From ancient Syria, as the Lebanese historian Jurji Zaydan says, the first alphabet in the world was launched: the alphabet of Ugarit, which was written on cuneiform tablets and was discovered in 1929. That discovery was one of the most important events for those concerned with linguistic and intellectual heritage.

When speaking of multilingualism, we must recall the role of the Arabic language during the process of human and intellectual development in the field of the liguistic aspect of civilization. As the historian Ahmad Dawoud of Syria says,

"the Arabic language, ancient as it is in history, included in its family many languages, including Aramaic, Phoenician, Canaanite and Assyrian. As a historical recognition of the ancient Arabic language, one could recall as an example, that the name Europa was the name of a Syrian-Phoenician princess. Further, the name Libya, a name used in the ancient world for the entire African continent, was also the name of a Syrian-Phoenician princess".

Major world historians, ancient and modern, have spoken of the role of the ancient Syrians in linguistic development. The Sicilian historian Teodoro stated that the Syrians invented letters and passed them on to the Canaanites, who in turn passed them on to the Greeks. Pliny, the historian states, "the creation of letters was a Phoenician achievement".

The chronicle of Sabatino Moscati states,

"The Phoenicians created the letters of the alphabet. One of the greatest and most glorious achievements of the Phoenicians, perhaps the most glorious, was spreading the alphabet in the countries of the Mediterranean basin".

More recently, the historian Arnold Toynbee said, "Syrians created the alphabet in the second century before Christ". George Botsford, the historian, states that "Phoenicians were the messengers of civilization in the ancient world. Their precious gift to Europe was the alphabet".

It was language that preserved that heritage and brought it to our modern age, the age of information and technological revolution.

Multilingualism is not limited to the importance of language itself and its modes of expression. Rather, there is unanimous agreement among historians today that linguistics is the best tool to determine demographic ethnic roots, the evolution of civilizations and the spread of intellectual knowledge to other parts of the world. Language is one of the main methods of establishing the national identity of a people. For language to undertake that role, it must survive through historic continuity. The Arabic language underwent such historic continuity and, thus, the Arab national identity has been kept for thousands of years in the form in which we know it today. We cherish our mother tongue, and that requires us to cherish the other languages of the world; millions of Arabs attempt to learn those languages, as well as the civilizational role that they played in human progress and continuity.

The addition of the Arabic language as an official language of the United Nations in 1974 was an important event that rightly reflected the widening use of Arabic, which is spoken and understood by millions of Arabs and non-Arabs. Multilingualism in the United Nations also requires a priori equality among the six official languages. Thus, my delegation has always demanded equal treatment of the six official languages of the United Nations. We have always believed that the United Nations must embody such equality in all aspects of its work, whether in United Nations documents, by providing translation and interpretation services to meetings, by ensuring the presence of enough translators and interpreters or on the United Nations page on the World Wide Web, so that the Arab world and Arab speakers in the world may come to know the positions of the Arab states vis-à-vis the different issues taken up by the United Nations.

My delegation has studied the Secretary-General's report contained in document A/54/478. We welcome the efforts made by the Secretary-General in following a comprehensive policy aimed at improving the linguistic capabilities of United Nations staff members by encouraging them to learn other United Nations languages, as well as in establishing a system of incentives by which the appointment and promotion of employees is influenced by their knowledge of other languages. We would like to express our satisfaction at the increase in the number of translators working on the computer-assisted translation project on an equal basis among the six languages and at other efforts aimed at ensuring full equality among the six official languages, in order to achieve true multilingualism.

The opening of the United Nations Web site in June 1995 was the beginning of a pilot project that manifested the will of the United Nations to make use of the latest scientific advances to diffuse the positions and policies of Member States throughout the world. That project embraced multilingualism in 1998, when, finally, the site included Arabic and Chinese pages. Thus, the United Nations achieved multilingualism on its Web page.

However, true multilingualism can be achieved only via the full and equal treatment on the Web site of the six official languages. Let us recall that more than one third of the inhabitants of our planet speak or understand either Arabic or Chinese.

Let us also recall that the system used for the Arabic language -- both on the Web page and on the optical disk system -- is obsolete. We hope that at this session, as a result of the consultations now under way in the Fifth Committee, the General Assembly will take a decision to correct this situation.

Finally, the languages of the world are the repositories of the cultural heritage of civilizations. Every civilization has a language to give it expression. Multilingualism at the United Nations is an expression of its recognition of the variety and multifaceted nature of cultures. Therefore, this multilingualism must continue and be promoted in the future, so that the United Nations can continue to enrich the cultural heritage of humanity and to reach out to as many of the world's people as possible.

Ms. Kaba Camara (Cote d'Ivoire)

My delegation is pleased to take the floor on agenda item 23, "multilingualism", in order to make our contribution to the discussion on the role of languages and their importance within the United Nations system.

Language is the means of communication among peoples, civilizations and cultures. It carries the age-old values, the souls of peoples. It is an undeniable treasure that must be preserved, and interaction between the various languages allows them to flourish.

The United Nations, the melting pot of peoples, cultures, civilizations and customs, can only be enriched by the diversity of languages it employs. It is by promoting languages that the United Nations system can enhance the sensitivity of its approach to and analysis of problems it is seeking to solve. and can explore innovative ways of facing the many current challenges and those to come.

The multilingualism of the United Nations is a corollary of its universality. Our Organization's founders understood this when they decided, in February 1946, to make French an official and working language of our Assembly, its Committees and Subcommittees, and by including Spanish in December 1948. Through a 1968 Assembly resolution, Russian was added, and in December 1973, Chinese and Arabic were included on the list of official and working languages. Rule 51 of the General Assembly rules of procedure states that these five languages, in addition to English, are the official and working languages of the General Assembly.

Nonetheless, we note with concern that the increasing globalization and unipolarity are having an increasing effect on the United Nations system and run the risk of leading to the pre-eminence of a single language, which would be imposed as an unavoidable channel for communication among the world's peoples.

My delegation thanks the Secretary-General, who, aware of this danger and of the need to promote all the official languages, is endeavouring to make multilingualism the rule within the United Nations. We appreciate the programmes to provide instruction in the six official languages and the incentives for staff to study these languages so as to be proficient in at least two of them. We are well aware of the Department of Public Information's efforts to develop Internet sites in all the official languages of the United Nations, and we commend these efforts. The implementation of this project, which we vigorously urge, will allow the vast majority of peoples throughout the world to have access, in their working language, to information and documents issued by the United Nations. It will help bring peoples and the United Nations closer together, and will contribute to an increased understanding of our activities.

However, while progress has been achieved in the areas of language instruction and the dissemination of information, it must be acknowledged that progress has been slow in the areas of recruitment and promotion of staff, the use of working languages and the translation and simultaneous distribution of basic documents, as well as in providing informal meetings with adequate interpretation and translation services.

Paragraph 7 of the report contained in document A/54/478 states that

"All candidates recruited for the Secretariat are required to have a full command of either English or French."

Nonetheless, we note that many vacancy announcements state that, in order to be a candidate, one must have excellent spoken and written English and a working knowledge of French or of one of the other official languages. Representatives will agree that such requirements exclude the vast majority of nationals from Member States of the United Nations who were not raised or educated in an Anglo-Saxon culture.

This result of this trend is that brilliant candidates who could offer our Organization new sensibilities, approaches and ideas are excluded from competing for posts. In taking firm measures to reverse this trend, the Secretary-General will enrich his administration with skills that might bring innovative ideas for tackling the challenges that the United Nations must deal with.

Regarding the working languages, the report mentions that all United Nations staff members must, according to the terms of appointment, work either in English or in French. However, the preponderant working language is English. Staff members of all types are often required to draft reports in English.

The translation and simultaneous distribution of documentation in all working languages continue to pose problems. The late distribution of documents in all working languages does not allow for sufficient study and is a serious handicap to the active participation of certain delegations in the work of our Assembly. Often, assigned schedules are not met and important documents are circulated with the "advance copy" stamp, thus giving those who work in English the privilege of studying them, developing their ideas thereon and making their positions known before others have even had an opportunity to see them. Indeed, the current debate on reform of the United Nations Development Programme is an illustration of the difficulties encountered by representatives who are not fluent in English.

Moreover, we should draw the attention of the translation service to the need for texts in English to concord with those in the other working languages, because the English version, which is often the original, occasionally differs from the translations.

Interpretation at informal meetings or at meetings of the regional groups remains a constant problem. An important meeting of the non-aligned countries was held last week without interpretation services. Participants who could not express themselves in English were compelled to refrain from speaking on important items on the agenda. When we consider the importance of these meetings to the arrival at consensus in the negotiation process, it is to be regretted that interpretation services are not always available. Serious efforts should be made to allow all representatives, whatever their working language, to participate actively in the debate and to make their contribution to the work of our Assembly.

My delegation encourages the Secretary-General in his efforts to achieve gender parity in the allocation of management posts. However, we note that this parity is being sought at the expense of the vast majority of women, who often find themselves disqualified, not by criteria of competence or morality, but simply because of history and occasionally of geography. While we advocate priority being given to Africa within the United Nations system, African women, especially French speakers, who occupy high-level positions remain rare gems in the system in this waning century.

Similarly, much remains to be done to ensure linguistic and geographic balance, because we must not lose sight of the fact that wisdom, deep consideration and thought and an innovative approach to the problems of this world are not the monopoly of a single culture, region or language.

At the dawn of the new millennium, let us make the rule of multilingualism a reality in the years to come. Steps must be taken to allow each and every State to enjoy the rights and facilities inherent to membership. My delegation is in favour of appointing a coordinator of questions relating to multilingualism assigned to reducing inequalities and promoting the universal character of our Organization. We therefore urge the Assembly to adopt the draft resolution in document A/54/L.37 without a vote.

Mr. Boisson (Monaco)

The Principality of Monaco -- whose official language is French; whose vernacular, Monegasque, is successfully taught in schools; and above all on whose territory many languages are spoken in harmony -- is unreservedly in favour of multilingualism. Indeed, we feel the benefits of multilingualism every day in business and industry, as well as in entertainment and tourism.

Advocated from the very outset by our Organization and officially recognized in Article 111 of its Charter, as well as in the rules of procedure of the General Assembly and the other main organs of the United Nations, the use of several languages within the Secretariat and in the official framework of cooperation among Member States undeniably represents a unique treasure and a precious asset in our international relations that it is our duty to preserve with utmost attention and consistency.

Is multilingualism not at the very heart of the meeting of peoples? Is it not fitting recognition of the identities they have evolved over the course of centuries? Whether sheltering in caves, roaming the deserts, hunting in the savannah or dwelling in the forests, all human beings have developed their trade and built their progress on the knowledge of others, their culture and identity. Is not the use of many languages, the ancestral means of communication, at the very heart of human relations? Has it not thereby contributed to the creation and defence of their spiritual values, their norms of behaviour and, undoubtedly, the rejection of the savagery of our early history?

The widespread and consistent use of languages -- a bridge rather than a barrier between peoples -- is our common good. We must unite to safeguard and value it as we do the artistic and architectural legacies of preceding generations.

The draft resolution introduced by the representative of France, and of which Monaco is a sponsor, should mark an important phase in this undertaking, since it completes the text of resolution 52/23 of 25 November 1997. By requesting the Secretary-General -- as recommended in November 1998 by the symposium on multilingualism in international organizations, held in Geneva at the initiative of the International Organization of la Francophonie -- to appoint a senior Secretariat official as coordinator and liaison with Member States on all issues related to multilingualism, the draft resolution is intended to provide a concrete solution to what many of us clearly feel to be a deficiency. This initiative, which would have no budgetary implication, since the official would already be a member of the Secretariat, is most relevant. It would also be extremely useful in giving concrete shape to measures already taken by the Secretary-General to promote multilingualism in our Organization, which he describes in his report of 19 October 1999 in document A/54/478 and which we wholeheartedly endorse.

Whether because of the incentives established to foster within the Secretariat the study of the six official languages or the provisions adopted regarding recruitment and promotion, there is every reason to believe that this question, which seems to be the object of sustained attention by the Secretary-General, could only benefit from this appointment, whose importance, I am convinced, Member States should soon be able to perceive.

The note by the Secretary-General contained in document A/C.5/54/28 of 16 November 1999 is another contribution to our consideration of careers in the linguistic services, enabling us to better understand some of the difficulties he encounters regarding the appointment of language personnel. It also makes us aware of the very uneven yet nevertheless encouraging results of provisions aimed at reducing the excessive vacancy rates, particularly in offices away from Headquarters. Incentive measures aimed at facilitating the recruitment of qualified and experienced language personnel should, we strongly hope, also contribute to rapidly reducing these gaps. We can only invite the Secretary-General, who is himself multilingual, to pursue these efforts by developing or strengthening the use of the latest informatics technologies, with a view to improving the quality of translation and to increase productivity in the processing of certain repetitive texts, thanks in particular to a greater standardization and the automation of some tasks.

In the field of information, where the role of languages is predominant, in order to make world public opinion widely aware of the role and activities of the Organization, progress should also be pursued, above all regarding the Web, where we note with satisfaction the progress made -- too slow, but steady nonetheless -- as a result of adjustments made to programmes and greater accessibility in the six official languages.

We also hope that the current trilingual Thesaurus File of the United Nations Bibliographic Information System will soon be available in the six official languages of the Organization, with the addition of Arabic, Chinese and Russian in the near future. This will be a decisive step in promoting knowledge of the varied wealth of literary and artistic works of our world.

The Government of Monaco considers respect for multilingualism, which is one of the fundamental principles of the functioning of the United Nations, as a guarantee of fair and fruitful cooperation among Member States. Moreover, its strengthening should be a source of intellectual and ideological enrichment, which is increasingly vital for making our Organization better able to embrace the essence of, and be imbued with the beauty, authenticity and depth of, our various cultures. This should contribute to finding appropriate solutions to the grave problems of our day, such as violence, marginalization, poverty and indifference, problems that are too often related to ignorance and disrespect for others.

Mr. Pintat Santolária (Andorra)

Since its admission to the United Nations, the Principality of Andorra has always used its own language, Catalan, in its statements before the General Assembly. This is not a sign of nationalist fervour, but rather a deliberate decision with two very specific objectives. The first objective is the broadest possible dissemination of United Nations activities among our population. The second objective is to promote multilingualism at the United Nations. In fact, the cultural wealth and diversity of our world are expressed above all in the language we speak and write. Using the language of each nation during the general debate is not very difficult. Andorra provides a translation into one of the six official languages of the United Nations, and the simultaneous interpretation is based on that version.

Today I would like to encourage most countries to speak in the languages of their populations during the general debate. Next year we will be celebrating the Millennium Assembly together. This will be an opportunity to prove that speaking different languages should not be a barrier to bringing people together; quite the contrary. The world of the next century will not be a Tower of Babel of human beings who cannot understand each other. The culture of peace, human rights, democracy and rule of law is asserting itself, little by little, and will become universal. Henceforth, languages must be understood as expressions of specific cultural heritages that enrich humankind, united by the shared values of which this Assembly is the echo and guarantor.

It will not be by speaking a single language that the world's peoples will be united in spirit. Many languages disappear every year because of globalization. This means cultural impoverishment. The globalization of the decades to come will be an opportunity for us to bring our ideas closer together while maintaining different means of expression. Allow me to congratulate the fraternal country of San Marino, which financed the translation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into many of the world's languages.

Mr. Pintat Santolária (Andorra)

As in the past, the Principality of Andorra has co-sponsored a draft resolution on multilingualism. We congratulate the Secretary-General on his report on this subject, and we commend the efforts made by the United Nations to promote the six official languages among staff members. It seems to us particularly effective that United Nations staff who strive to learn more languages should benefit from financial incentives. We should certainly congratulate the interpreters and translators, who, in their booths and offices, work tirelessly to facilitate the communication and the work of Member States. We should ensure that at international conferences the translation of legal documents, in particular, is always of a very high standard. We are pleased to note advances made by the Organization in the area of informatics in order to help us navigate the Internet in many languages. The use of computers cannot be allowed to impose the use of a single language, and it is very important for the Organization to always stress multilingualism in this area.

Mr. Pintat Santolária (Andorra)

Andorra is small State with three systems of education: Andorran, French and Spanish. The latter can be lay or religious. We believe it is essential that Andorrans continue to be trilingual, and now, with English, that they be quadrilingual. As we see it, for Andorra, a small country, languages are a means of openness and contact with others, first with our neighbours and then with the rest of the world.

Andorra is and always has been at a crossroads, and that makes it a place of trade and mutual assistance. Economic exchange is founded on a strong knowledge of neighbouring cultures and languages. People of more than 85 nationalities now reside in Andorra. We are familiar with multilingualism, and we like it. Even as we preserve our own language, the citizens of Andorra are today a laboratory of a Europe that is uniting, in which each nation preserves its own language but whose inhabitants also become multilingual through a natural process. That multilingualism is the natural bearer of tolerance and mutual respect.

Mr. Pintat Santolária (Andorra)

Human beings recognize the many powers of words and of languages. The sacred texts of the great religions are infused for many with the truth of God. Works of history, science, literature and philosophy by the great masters have fed our thirst for knowledge for generations. In the twentieth century, deconstruction and post-modernism have brought a new wave of analysis to seemingly plain texts. Words and languages define human beings as thinking beings. They are what we are, and they express what we want. Let us celebrate their diversity at the United Nations, a true home for all nations, large and small.

Mr. Pfanzelter (Austria)

First of all, I wish to express my gratitude to the Secretary-General for the quality of his report, which reflects exhaustively the importance and necessity of promoting multilingualism at the United Nations.

It is also a great pleasure for me to welcome and support from this rostrum the promotion of multilingualism in all its aspects in the work of the United Nations. My delegation decided to co-sponsor the draft resolution on multilingualism, because it seems vital to us to maintain and develop the cultural and linguistic richness of the United Nations. In order to facilitate citizens' access to the United Nations and its agencies, it is essential to offer that access in all the official languages of the United Nations.

While globalization and the Internet seem to promote the emergence of a lingua franca, we must not forget one important fact: it is the obligation of the United Nations to avoid accepting only privileged groups of society. It is essential that all sectors of society be respected. In any event, we must avoid transforming the United Nations into a privileged club. Multilingualism should be considered a fundamental pillar of the United Nations. If we weaken that pillar, we will weaken the entire Organization.

Today, the success of the United Nations work depends also on the quality of its cooperation with civil society, and in particular with the non-governmental organizations. It is often the small local initiatives that provide us with frank and genuine information. Multilingualism is indispensable to the success of the cooperation between the United Nations and such organizations.

The United Nations budgetary situation, as we know full well, remains precarious. In this context, I would like to emphasize that the appointment by the Secretary-General of a high-level official, chosen from within existing Secretariat personnel to serve as coordinator and as a contact point between the Secretariat and Member States on questions related to multilingualism, is a measure that will have no budgetary implications. I wish to emphasize that the appointment of such a coordinator seems highly innovative and reasonable to us.

In conclusion, it would be desirable for the draft resolution under this item, which is consistent with the existing language system, to be given the active support of a very large number of countries.

Mr. Erdös (Hungary)

The delegation of Hungary welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on multilingualism. It rightly emphasizes the importance of the study and use of languages -- "languages", in the plural -- to better reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of the United Nations and, in fact, of our world. We see from the report that our world Organization places particular emphasis on the teaching and use of the official languages of the United Nations in its various spheres of activity. The reform of the United Nations, which began some years ago, is basically aimed at translating world realities into fact, and this means, inter alia, the maintenance and strengthening of a linguistic balance within the United Nations.

In this context, we attach great importance to the activities of the Department of Public Information, which is the United Nations body par excellence aimed at raising public awareness in our various countries of the multicultural nature and linguistic diversity of the United Nations, not only through the use of the Organization's working and official languages, but also, with the assistance of the United Nations Information Centres, through the use of the languages of the countries served by those Centres. In this way, people in the four corners of the world will be better able to appreciate the true dimensions of the work accomplished by the United Nations and to identify with that work. They will understand that the United Nations remains the foremost place of expression for the diversity of cultures making up the international community and, to a certain extent for the linguistic diversity of our world -- and not for uniformity, monotony or intellectual intolerance.

The Secretariat's faithfulness to the policy of promoting teaching and using the working and official languages of the United Nations in all fields is fundamental for multilingualism and parity among languages to remain the rule at the United Nations, and we expect these activities to continue.

Hungary has joined an impressive number of countries in sponsoring the draft resolution before the General Assembly, which relates to preserving the value of multilingualism in the Secretariat. We do so in a spirit of openness, because I represent -- as do many of my colleagues -- a nation whose language is not included among the official or working languages, a nation where these official or working languages are not used, not even as a secondary language or a language of administration. While remaining devoted to our own language, culture and traditions, we are fully aware of the importance of the international community's making itself understood and of its communicating through the rich linguistic resources that the peoples of our world possess; and this can be done rationally only on an agreed basis, as established in Article 111 of the United Nations Charter. We have no doubt that our colleagues here who think, reflect and communicate in the greatest diversity of languages, will be sensitive to the idea of the plurality of languages and that they will rightly appreciate the message contained in this draft resolution, which we recommend for their kind consideration.

Mr. Lozinsky (Russia)

As has been repeatedly pointed out by the General Assembly, the use of various languages in the United Nations enriches the Organization and is a means for achieving the purposes of the Charter. The States Members of the Organization regularly reaffirm the need to ensure equitable treatment for official and working languages of the Organization.

The existence and status of official and working languages in the United Nations reflect the universal nature of the Organization and, consequently, the cultural diversity of the world community. The importance of this is obvious, especially at the threshold of the new millennium.

Experience gleaned over the decades has shown that the United Nations has been able to strike an extremely successful balance between the need for a fuller reflection of the world's linguistic and cultural variety and considerations of ensuring the working efficiency of the machinery of the Organization. It is precisely this factor, among others, that has promoted the harmonious integration of the United Nations into the practical activities of many countries, far exceeding the number of founders of the Organization.

The principle of the equality of official and working languages, which has been legally strengthened and which has stood the test of time, must be regularly reaffirmed by the General Assembly. In practice this means that we must ensure equitable services to States Members, both in terms of quantity and quality, in all official and working languages.

Proceeding from this premise, and also on the basis of decisions adopted by the General Assembly in 1995 and 1997 on this item, the Russian delegation supports the draft resolution on multilingualism, of which it is a sponsor.

We support a new element in the draft resolution -- a request from the General Assembly to the Secretary-General to appoint a senior Secretariat official as coordinator of questions relating to multilingualism. Such a decision, which does not involve any financial implications, will allow, within the framework of Secretariat structures, coordination of the work on problems of multilingualism and ensure compliance with the principle of equality of official and working languages. It will also formally enhance responsibility for the implementation by United Nations machinery of compliance with the relevant decisions of the General Assembly.

Mr. Belfort (Haiti)

It is my honour, on behalf of the Haitian delegation, to speak in support draft resolution A/54/L.37, on multiliingualism in the various organs and bodies of the United Nations.

The question of multilingualism is of great importance in these times of the historic upheaval known as "globalization", which is characterized, from a linguistic standpoint, by the steady establishment of a new lingua franca. This process undoubtedly provides the community of nations with a convenient tool for communication. History has taught us that this phenomenon is nothing new, since many languages have fulfilled that function in the past at the regional and global levels; in terms of religious beliefs, the Bible tells us that in the time of Noah all the earth spoke one language. Nonetheless, we cannot avoid asking ourselves some questions about this process insofar as it relates to a subject of concern to us all: that of linguistic and cultural diversity. This preoccupation is not solely for esthetes striving to be original; it stems from an obvious concern over human and cultural ecology with a view to preserving this diversity, which is the main source of the richness of our human heritage.

The great Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes recently said that the great value of the twenty-first century will be diversification, because if we reflect on our memory, we discover that its roots are not single, but multiple.

At the opening ceremony on multilingualism in international organizations, held in Geneva in November 1998, the Secretary-General of the International Organization of La Francophonie, Mr. Boutro Boutros-Ghali, stated that if all States were to speak the same language, think the same way and act the same way, there would be a great risk of a totalitarian system establishing itself on an international scale, because through the words that are used, a way of thinking and a vision of the world are expressed. This thought is accurate, because language is, above all a reflection of cultures and civilizations. The choice and the decision to promote multilingualism represent not only a desire to invest in diversity, but also a desire to initiate and deepen the needed dialogue among civilizations.

The Haitian delegation has duly noted the report contained in document A/54/478, on multilingualism, and we thank the Secretary-General deeply for the wealth of information it contains. We have also noted with satisfaction that instructions have been given to develop the content of the United Nations Web site in all the official languages. This decision can only help promote multilingualism on the Internet, in the spirit of resolution 50/11 of 2 November 1995.

We are pleased to note that the Secretariat is doing everything in its power to encourage staff to use the working languages on an equal footing in their official communications. Nonetheless, in spite of the clear will expressed by the Secretary-General, we cannot help noting that the principle of equality of official languages continues to undergo a certain amount of erosion contrary to the spirit of resolution 50/11, since the great majority of informal meetings continue to be held without interpretation.

Of course we know that the world Organization is facing a certain number of financial problems, but the question of multilingualism, in spite of or because of the process of globalization, will grow and grow in value as an expression of the diversity and the wealth of humankind's cultural and intellectual heritage, which the United Nations must preserve.

In this context, it is relevant, as set out in paragraph 2 of resolution A/54/L.37, to request the Secretary-General to appoint a coordinator on questions relating to multilingualism. This appointment obviously will have no budgetary implications for the United Nations since the choice will be made from among senior Secretariat officials.

The Haitian delegation therefore invites the General Assembly to support the draft resolution on multilingualism, which will serve as a driving force for the establishment of genuine dialogue among civilizations.

The Acting President

We have heard the last speaker in our debate on this item.

Before taking a decision on draft resolution A/54/L.37, I wish to announce that Colombia and Saudi Arabia have joined the list of sponsors.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution.

May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/54/L.37?

The Acting President

I shall now call on those representatives who wish to speak in explanation of position on the resolution just adopted.

May I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

Mr. Chindawongse (Thailand)

Although my delegation joined in the consensus on draft resolution A/54/L.37, under agenda item 23, entitled "Multilingualism", we wish to stress that we continue to have strong reservations on paragraph 3 of resolution 50/11, of 2 November 1995. It is our belief that this paragraph has far-reaching implications for personnel matters at the United Nations, particularly for the recruitment and promotion of staff.

To require United Nations personnel to have a command of two of the six official languages of the United Nations places at a great disadvantage those individuals whose mother tongue is not one of those six languages. For these United Nations personnel, such a measure would not only be an additional obstacle to overcome, but also a latent form of discrimination.

Thailand remains committed to multilingualism at the United Nations and to efforts to enhance cultural diversity in this almost-universal body. But we should not forget that at the core of cultural diversity are the principles of tolerance and mutual understanding. In the context of this agenda item, tolerance and understanding, especially from those who promote the idea of multilingualism, should also be extended to those cultures that, through their historical circumstances, have not been deeply associated with the six official languages of the United Nations. It would indeed be unfortunate if the implementation of multilingualism should inadvertently lead to what could be perceived as intolerance and, consequently, to the degradation of the idea of respect for cultural diversity, which multilingualism is supposed to promote.

Mr. Yamagiwa (Japan)

Japan reluctantly joined the consensus adoption of the draft resolution contained in document A/54/L.37 and wishes to take this opportunity to explain and reiterate its fundamental position on the issue of multilingualism, and in particular its implication for the staff members in the United Nations Secretariat.

Japan supports the concept of multilingualism, whose ultimate objective is to enhance and promote cultural diversity within the United Nations Secretariat. The United Nations is a unique Organization in that it is both international and universal, and we are of the view that that unique character should be maintained and enhanced. Unfortunately, the General Assembly resolution that initiated multilingualism -- resolution 50/11 -- contained an element that my delegation regards as a possible basis for treating staff members whose mother tongue is not one of the official languages of the United Nations bodies in an unfair manner.

It is for this reason that the delegation of Japan had to vote against the adoption of that resolution at the fiftieth session of the Assembly. As the circumstances have not changed since then, my delegation would like to reiterate its concern, as well as its request to the Secretary-General, and the coordinator who is to be appointed, to ensure that those staff members of the Secretariat whose mother tongue is not one of the official languages of the United Nations bodies are treated in the same way as other staff members with regard to the process of consideration for promotion and salary increments.

The Acting President

We have heard the last speaker in explanation of position.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 23?

The Acting President

We have thus concluded our deliberations in the language of Molière. I shall now proceed in the language of Shakespeare.