Multilingualism

A/RES/56/262View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 32 Multilingualism, published in 2002.

What other versions does this mandate have?

15 versions · 1995–2026

Newer documents in this group exist (latest: 2026).

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2026	A/RES/80/310	Multilingualism	2,957	—Compare
2024	A/RES/78/330	Multilingualism	5,746	—Compare
2022	A/RES/76/268	Multilingualism	5,988	—Compare
2019	A/RES/73/346	Multilingualism	5,432	—Compare
2017	A/RES/71/328	Multilingualism	4,417	—Compare

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

11 reports · 2003–2026

Year	Symbol	Title	Mandate resolution
2026	A/80/668	Multilingualism report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/78/330
2024	A/78/790	Multilingualism report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/76/268
2021	A/75/798	Multilingualism report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/73/346
2019	A/73/761	Multilingualism report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/71/328
2017	A/71/757	Multilingualism report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/69/324

What subjects does this mandate have?

15 subjects

Appointment of Officials Calendar of Meetings Conference Facilities Databases Information Technology Interpreting Language Services Library Acquisitions Multilingualism Official Languages Professional Staff Promotion Public Relations Recruitment Terminology

What’s in this document?

14 operative paragraphs

I

Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General,³ and recalls the actions suggested therein;

³A/56/656.

Also takes note of the appointment of a coordinator for multilingualism;

Notes with satisfaction the willingness of the Secretariat to encourage staff members, in formal meetings with interpretation services, to use any of the six official languages of which they have a command;

Stresses that the employment of staff shall continue to be carried out in strict accordance with Article 101 of the Charter of the United Nations and in line with the relevant provisions of General Assembly resolutions;

Also stresses that the promotion of staff in the Professional and higher categories should be carried out in strict accordance with Article 101 of the Charter and in line with the provisions of resolution 2480 B (XXIII) and the relevant provisions of resolution 55/258;

Encourages United Nations staff members to continue to use actively existing training facilities to acquire and enhance proficiency in one or more official languages of the United Nations;

Takes note of the overhaul of the recruitment system undertaken by the Secretariat within the context of the Galaxy Project, and requests the Secretariat to ensure that the system becomes effective and operational as soon as practical;

Recalls its resolution 56/242, in which it requested the Secretary-General to report on the utilization rates of interpretation services and conference facilities at all duty stations with a view to improving interpretation services, and requests the Secretary-General to carry out a comprehensive review of the reasons for holding informal calendar meetings without interpretation;

Also recalls its resolution 56/64 B, in which it noted the continuing efforts of the Secretary-General to enrich on a multilingual basis the stock of books and journals in the Library, and section V, paragraph 1, of its resolution 56/242, in which it requested the Secretary-General to submit a progress report on the use of information technology, including computerized terminology data banks;

Further recalls its resolution 56/64 B, and emphasizes the importance of multilingualism in United Nations public relations and information activities;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit to it at its fifty-eighth session a comprehensive report on the implementation of its resolutions on multilingualism, including the implications of section I of the present resolution;

II

Welcomes the decision by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on 17 November 1999 that 21 February should be proclaimed “International Mother Language Day”, and calls upon Member States and the Secretariat to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world;

Requests the Secretary-General to report to it at its fifty-eighth session on the measures that can be taken by Member States and international organizations within the United Nations system in order to strengthen the protection, promotion and preservation of all languages, in particular languages spoken by persons belonging to linguistic minorities and languages facing extinction;

III

Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-eighth session the item entitled “Multilingualism”.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

I

II

III

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