Question map
Which of the following is/are not an official language(s) of the United Nations? 1. Arabic 2. German 3. Spanish 4. Chinese
Explanation
The United Nations has six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish [3]. These languages are used for all official UN documents and simultaneous interpretation during meetings [1][3]. Arabic was added as an official and working language of the General Assembly in 1973. Chinese (specifically Mandarin) and Spanish have been official languages since the organization's inception. German, while a major world language and used in some UN documents through the German Translation Section, is not one of the six official languages of the United Nations [2]. It is currently listed only as a proposed or possible additional language for the future [2]. Therefore, among the options provided, German is the only language that is not an official language of the UN.
Sources
- [3] https://www.un.org/en/our-work/official-languages
- [1] https://ask.un.org/faq/14463
- [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_languages_of_the_United_Nations