On April 28, students, university professors, authorities, diplomats and journalists learned about the use of the English Language at the UN during a first ever observation of the English Language Day in Armenia.

The event was organized by the UN Department of Public Information (UNDPI) jointly with the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Embassy of the United States of America, the Embassy of India and Young Translators Union NGO, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

Ambassadors and diplomats welcomed guests, spoke about the importance of the English language for the UN.

UN Department of Public Information Representative in Armenia, Maria Dotsenko said: “I am delighted to see the strong interest among Armenians for English Language Day at the UN. I hope that the celebration will further expand the influence of English as one of the UN languages and provide an opportunity for more people to learn about its contribution to the multilingualism within the UN.”

Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish are the six official languages of the United Nations.

Starting in 2010, the United Nations Department of Public Information in New York has announced the launch of “Language Days at the United Nations”, a new initiative which seeks to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity. The UNDPI Yerevan Office is planning to mark all official languages of the UN throughout 2011.