Diplomacy and Languages

If we ask: What language do diplomats speak in international meetings? What is the language of International Treaties? Some people consider that the language of diplomacy is English. They think that if 2 countries need to communicate but they do not share a common language, they will use English for that purpose. Some people think that the language of Diplomacy should be French. The truth is that the answer is not at all simple. A diplomatic lingua franca does not exist. 

We can read more about the history of the use of languages in the diplomacy.  We can also say that languages still have a place in International Diplomacy and Diplomats need to use languages in their work. Countries need to interrelate and collaborate to find a solution to common problems and to engage in trading activities. This interrelation involves the use of a language.

Considering the number of countries that exist in the world and the different languages they speak, it is not common to see Countries using a unique language to communicate. In Large areas shared by countries that have a common language, like Latin America, or the Arab World, this case happens more often.  

Diplomatic missions most of the times are able to communicate with the government of the host country in its official language. I do not mean that the ambassador and all the diplomatic team can speak fluently the language of the country where they reside. However, those missions are engaged in a series of duties that require the presence of professionals who are proficient in the local language. Not many people know that part of the duties of a Diplomatic mission is to inform their country about the news and political developments in the host country.

Bilateral treaties can be challenging. When they are presented in a written document, they need to have a very clear language that all participants can understand.  The reference for those treaties is the “ViennaConvention on the Laws of Treaties” (1969). The article 33 of this text refers to the use of authenticated texts in 2 or more languages. There is no mention of any specific language to be used and there is no limit to the number of languages used. Unless there is a previous agreement about a main language, all the languages are equally authoritative. Most of the time, the languages used in a bilateral treaty are the official languages of the countries involved. Sometimes, countries could agree in having the text of the treaty authenticated in a “third language” that is not official in any of the parts involved. Some countries specify that if a “third language” exists it must be one of the official languages of the United Nations (UN). During my research, I read about different rules applied by different nations. France, for example, demands that French should be used in any bilateral treaty signed with this nation plus the official language of the other part, but they oppose to the use of a “third language” in this context. 

International treaties with Canada should always have at least an official text in English and in French and the other part can add a similar text in their own official language. In an article written by prof. Guglielmo Maisto about issues in multilingual texts of treaties, he mentions, among other things, the case of countries like Belgium, Norway and Sweden that have signed tax treaties in English only, without any relevant issues.    

An intergovernmental organization is an organization composed mainly of sovereign states. They are established by treaties and they are important actors in the International law. Those organizations need to have official languages to draft, write and register new treaties and resolutions. Sometimes, they use all the official languages of the member states as their own languages and the best example is the European Union. In the EU, all the 24 languages spoken in the state members are official. But in other cases, they need to select a few languages, like in the United Nations, where the official and working languages are 6: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic. Those are also the official languages of the specialized agencies. Interestingly, if the representatives of a country want to address the UN members in a different language, they can do so, but they have to provide a translation of the speech into at least one of the official languages.

If you are thinking about a career as a diplomat, you should also consider learning another language. Here is the selection of 10 languages I would recommend to learn:

-English: I do not need to explain why English is so important in Diplomacy. It is quite difficult to find an international organization where English is not used.

-French: French is the only world language along with English with solid roots on five continents. It is an official language of the United Nations and its institutions, the European Union where it is also one of the 3 working languages (The other 2 are English and German), and other international organizations like the Red Cross, Olympic committee (In the last 2 organizations, French is even more important than English). French is considered also the 3^rd language in the world for Business (After English and Mandarin). Geographically, it is especially important in Europe and Africa.   

-Spanish: Spanish is already the second largest language in the world by the number of Native speakers. It is official language in more than 20 countries, in the UN and in the EU. It is used in all the international organizations that group American countries. It is also growing in importance for Business and countries like the US and Brazil, who are not speakers of this language, use it regularly. In Russia, China and many other countries, it is a language that an important group of investors and entrepreneurs are trying to learn.

-Mandarin: This language and Written Chinese are official languages in PR China, Taiwan and Singapore. It is also one of the official languages of the UN. Beside the fact that Taiwan has very little international recognition (It is not a member of the UN) we may say that this language is not that important if only 2 countries use it. But Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world and PR China is the world’s biggest economy. It is also a fact that this same country has a very active diplomacy. Mandarin will be a more important asset for any foreign office of any country.

-Arabic: Arabic is official language in more than 20 countries. Most of the speakers of this language live in Asia and Africa. It is also official language in the UN, African Union and the Arab league. The political influence of Arabic countries is growing.

-German: It is official language in 6 European countries. It is also official and one of the working languages of the EU. Its influence is felt mainly in Europe. German is very important for Science and Business.

-Italian: this language is official in Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, and a working language in the Holy See. It is also official in the EU. For historical reasons, linked to Italian migrations and the fact that Italian is also used in arts, it’s a very popular language to be learnt by Diplomats and other highly educated professionals.

-Portuguese: This language is official in 8 countries in the world, being Brazil and Portugal the main actors of this group. It’s official also in the EU and in many other organizations like the OAS, Organization of Ibero-American states, Mercosur, African Union.

-Russian: Russian is official in the Russian Federation. It has also official status in Byelorussia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It is also used by Ukraine and many of the Ex-Soviet Union members in their diplomacy. It is also official language in the UN

-Persian: It is still and important language in Central Asia. It is official in Iran (Where it is known as “Farsi”), in Afghanistan (Dari) and in Tajikistan (Tajik) and has influence in neighbouring countries. With International Community watching closely what is happening in this area of the world, to know Persian is an asset.

In my opinion, if you consider a diplomatic career, to know languages is an asset.  In diplomacy, we need to understand each other and to have alternative languages to communicate is always helpful. But perhaps the most important rule to follow is that we should be able to fully understand the messages we receive, the documents we are signing and the treaties we promise to respect. If there is anything that we do not understand, we can ask for a clarification in a language that we fully understand, and we can seek help from language professionals. There is no Law against the use of any language in international Forums. International law leaves the door open to authenticate translations of treaties in any language, and they are all equally authoritative.  Languages and Multilingualism help to increase participation and to promote tolerance.