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World

Are English and French the working languages of the UN Secretariat?

Published

Verdict
True
Verification confidenceMedium

Explanation

Yes. English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat, used for its day-to-day professional exchanges.

The United Nations Office at Geneva states this distinction in both its multilingualism overview and its language FAQ. It separately lists Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish as the UN's six official languages.

Official languages of the organization and working languages of a particular body are different categories. The Secretariat's arrangement should not be generalized to every UN body or interpreted as meaning that the UN has only two official languages.

Key takeaway

The UN has six official languages, while English and French are the Secretariat's working languages.

Evidence

UN Geneva identifies the Secretariat's working languages

United Nations Office at Geneva

Supports the claim

The multilingualism overview identifies English and French as the Secretariat's working languages for daily professional exchanges.

Based on: United Nations Office at Geneva

The language FAQ distinguishes official and working languages

United Nations Office at Geneva

Supports the claim

The FAQ names English and French as the Secretariat's working languages while separately listing the UN's six official languages. It corroborates the distinction within the same institution, rather than independently.

Based on: United Nations Office at Geneva

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