Indonesian Takes the Floor at UNESCO as a Newly Recognized Official Language

A historic debut in Samarkand

In Samarkand, at the 43rd UNESCO General Conference, Indonesian was used for the first time within the conference proceedings. Indonesia’s Education Minister Abdul Mu’ti delivered the national statement in Indonesian, marking a milestone that followed the language’s recognition in 2023 as an official language of the General Conference. The 43rd session opened in Samarkand on November 11, 2025, with closing days scheduled later in Paris, the organization’s headquarters. This sequence brought together the symbolism of Central Asia’s crossroads and UNESCO’s institutional home for a landmark linguistic moment.

Mu’ti began with a pantun, a traditional four line verse form that UNESCO inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2020. He thanked UNESCO and its member states for accepting Bahasa Indonesia as an official language of the General Conference on November 20, 2023. He also stressed the language’s role in uniting a country of more than 17,000 islands, some 700 local languages, and more than 1,300 ethnic groups. The staging of a national statement in Indonesian set a new tone, placing the archipelago’s common language at the center of a global forum for education, science, culture and communication.

Speaking from the floor, the minister framed the debut as an invitation to share knowledge across borders.

Abdul Mu’ti, Indonesia’s Education Minister: “Today, the Indonesian language reaffirms its global presence as a bridge of knowledge among nations.”

Estimates of Indonesian’s speaker base vary by method, though official figures often place the broader community at more than 270 million people. The language is used daily across Indonesia by both native speakers and those who learn it as a second language. It is also studied in universities and schools on several continents. The first use of Indonesian in the General Conference followed the 2023 recognition and underlined how official status can translate into practical use inside UNESCO’s highest decision making body.

From recognition to first use on the floor

At the 42nd session in Paris, the General Conference adopted Resolution 42 C/28 on November 20, 2023. The measure recognized Bahasa Indonesia as an official language of the General Conference, joining a growing roster that now includes Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Hindi, Italian and Portuguese. The decision is recorded in UNESCO’s legal documentation, including the Third report of the Legal Committee and the associated text of UNESCO Resolution 42 C/28.

The debut in 2025 reflects the timing of the next full General Conference after the decision, and the work required to make the change operational. Conference services needed to prepare for interpretation support, document production workflows and terminology resources. Indonesia’s delegation coordinated with the Secretariat so a national statement delivered in Indonesian would be properly recorded and interpreted during the session in Samarkand.

What does official language status mean at UNESCO?

UNESCO uses two categories during the General Conference, official languages and working languages. Official languages are used for the translation of key conference documents, such as resolutions, reports and records of meetings. Working languages are those used day to day for debate and simultaneous interpretation during sessions. The six working languages are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

By recognizing Indonesian as an official language of the General Conference, the body expanded the set of languages into which it produces official documentation. It also gives delegations the option to deliver statements in Indonesian and have the record reflect that status. When a statement is delivered in a language that is not one of the six working languages, the delegation can provide an interpreter into one working language. UNESCO’s interpreters then carry that into the other working languages for the room. In practice, this arrangement lets Indonesian be heard on the floor, while the technical category remains official language rather than working language.

For readers who saw reports describing Indonesian as a working language, the difference lies in UNESCO’s internal classification. The debut in Samarkand showed how official language status can still play a direct role during debates, with interpretation bridging Indonesian to the working languages heard on the conference channels and in booths.

A language that unites a vast archipelago

Bahasa Indonesia has long served as the glue of a diverse nation. It draws on the Malay language tradition and was formalized as Indonesia’s national language in the early 20th century. It cut across local identities and helped build a shared civic space, from the cities of Java and Sumatra to the villages of Sulawesi and Papua. Its modern standard is taught nationwide and used in media, government and education.

Indonesia’s size and diversity explain why a common language carries such weight. Across more than 17,000 islands, communities speak hundreds of local languages, each with its own literature and oral traditions. Indonesian creates a platform for daily communication and national policy, while local languages continue to express community identity. The balance between a common standard and regional richness has been a central theme in the country’s cultural life.

From the Youth Pledge to present day

The journey was anchored by the Youth Pledge of 1928, when young activists declared one motherland, one nation and one language, Indonesian. The choice connected the new republic to an accessible lingua franca and positioned language as a vehicle for unity. Figures such as Mohammad Tabrani advocated the name and concept of Bahasa Indonesia before independence, helping set the stage for its adoption when leaders proclaimed the republic in 1945.

Over the decades, Indonesian has grown with the country. It incorporates loanwords through clear guidelines set by language authorities, so global science and technology terms find a place alongside rooted vocabulary. The result is a living standard that is easy to learn, flexible in use and tied to a deep literary history.

Global study of Indonesian gains momentum

Interest in Indonesian beyond the country’s borders has expanded. The government supports Bahasa Indonesia for Foreign Speakers programs that operate in many regions. Courses and curricula are available in more than 50 countries. Estimates of non native learners vary, with figures often citing around 150,000 students worldwide. Diplomatic missions, cultural centers and universities have added classes as the language gains visibility in Southeast Asia and beyond.

New academic anchors are also emerging. Indonesian officials say a Department of Indonesian Language Studies is planned at Al Azhar University in Egypt, where hundreds of students have already expressed interest. Southeast Asian neighbors use Indonesian or very closely related Malay in trade, education and media, which makes the language a practical entry point into the region’s networks.

Mohamad Oemar, Indonesia’s Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, welcomed the General Conference decision and highlighted its broader meaning for cooperation and cultural exchange.

Ambassador Mohamad Oemar: “Recognizing Bahasa Indonesia as an official language at UNESCO supports inclusive information sharing and a richer appreciation of the language and its literature, while strengthening cooperation with UNESCO and advancing cultures, peace and sustainable development.”

Culture takes center stage with pantun and heritage

Language and culture moved together in Samarkand. The pantun that opened Indonesia’s national statement is a quatrain form with distinct rhyme and metaphor. UNESCO inscribed pantun on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2020, recognizing the tradition as a living practice across communities. Beginning the speech with pantun connected the debut to a wider story about safeguarding oral arts and the languages that carry them.

UNESCO’s intangible heritage system brings attention and support to practices that communities recognize as part of their identity. That ranges from crafts and music to performing arts and ritual. The form of speech chosen in Samarkand emphasized that a language is more than a medium for policy. It is also the vessel for poetry, teaching and memory.

Reactions from cultural and language officials

Indonesian cultural leaders called the UNESCO step a source of pride, while urging a balance between global engagement and local strength. Restu Gunawan, Director of Cultural and Tradition Protection at the Ministry of Culture, said the recognition should inspire confidence in using Indonesian in daily life and international forums, while preserving local languages and mastering foreign ones.

Restu Gunawan: “We must preserve regional languages, strengthen Indonesian, and master foreign languages. Regional languages carry traditional values and are symbols of regional pride.”

Language officials also framed the debut as part of a long term program to internationalize Indonesian. Hafidz Muksin, Head of the Indonesian Language Agency, noted that Indonesian is now one of ten official languages at the UNESCO General Conference and that the achievement reflects the language’s unifying role at home and its growing reach abroad.

Hafidz Muksin: “This recognition marks a proud step for Indonesian as it stands among the official languages of the UNESCO General Conference, reinforcing our efforts to introduce the language to the world.”

What changes for UNESCO proceedings and member states

The recognition ensures that official records and General Conference documents can be produced in Indonesian. Resolutions, reports and formal minutes will be accessible to Indonesian readers without reliance on unofficial translations. For delegations, it opens the door to deliver speeches in Indonesian that carry formal status in the record, with interpretation linking the speech to the working languages heard during debates.

Expanding official language coverage comes with practical needs. Conference services rely on qualified translators and interpreters, glossaries of specialized terms and production workflows that keep pace with fast moving debate. Indonesia has deep pools of translators trained in law, science and culture, and collaboration with UNESCO can help align terminology and style. The outcome is better access for scholars, teachers and civil society in Indonesia who follow UNESCO’s agenda on education, culture and science.

Next steps for Indonesian on the world stage

Recognition is a milestone, but reach grows through routine use. Teacher training for Bahasa Indonesia for Foreign Speakers programs, more digital learning materials and open corpora for linguists can help meet rising demand. Clear standards for specialized vocabulary in fields like artificial intelligence, climate science and heritage conservation will support translators and educators who work across languages at UNESCO and in universities.

Indonesia’s language policy already encourages good Indonesian use in public life. Campaigns that normalize Indonesian terms in academia and technology can sit alongside multilingual habits that protect regional languages and support English or other international languages where needed. The goal is a confident, outward looking Indonesian that adds value in global forums while staying rooted in local literature and arts.

Quick Facts

• UNESCO’s General Conference recognized Bahasa Indonesia as an official language on November 20, 2023 through Resolution 42 C/28.
• Indonesian made its first on floor appearance at the 43rd General Conference in Samarkand in November 2025, in a national statement delivered by Education Minister Abdul Mu’ti.
• Official language status is distinct from working language status. UNESCO’s six working languages remain Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
• With Indonesian, the General Conference’s official languages now include Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese and Indonesian.
• Official documents of the General Conference can be translated into Indonesian, and delegations may deliver statements in Indonesian with interpretation routed to the working languages.
• Bahasa Indonesia is used by more than 270 million people, with courses available in more than 50 countries and growing interest among non native learners.
• Pantun, the traditional verse form that opened Indonesia’s speech, has been on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list since December 2020.
• Indonesian officials report plans for an Indonesian language department at Al Azhar University in Egypt, reflecting rising academic demand.
• The 43rd General Conference opened in Samarkand (November 11, 2025) and concludes with final days at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris later in the month.