The United Nations has six official languages.
The six languages are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. They are used in major United Nations bodies and in official documents, with interpretation and translation supporting communication among member states.
The language system developed over the organization’s history. English, French, Chinese, Russian and Spanish were included in the original framework of the United Nations, while Arabic was added as an official language of the General Assembly and other bodies in 1973. Arabic later became part of the broader official-language system used across the organization.
Official status does not mean that every UN employee speaks all six languages or that every meeting uses each one in the same way. The Secretariat also has working languages, traditionally English and French. The six official languages reflect major international diplomatic and cultural constituencies, but many other languages are used by delegates and communities worldwide.