India Contributes $1 Million to Promote Hindi Language at United Nations

New York: India has made a significant contribution of USD 1,000,000 to the United Nations in a bid to promote the Hindi language within the international body.

The country’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, handed over a cheque to Melissa Fleming, the Under Secretary General of the United Nations Department of Global Communications, marking a milestone in fostering linguistic inclusivity.

The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations expressed their enthusiasm for the initiative in a tweet, stating, “Investing in linguistic inclusivity! PR @ruchirakamboj handed a cheque of $1,000,000 to USG @MelissaFleming towards expanding the usage of #Hindi in @UN. With the Hindi@UN project, we are breaking barriers & enhancing public outreach.”

The Indian Government is delighted to make a substantial voluntary contribution to the @UN, with a focus on promoting the usage of #Hindi. A step towards fostering inclusive dialogue and understanding. #LinguisticInclusivity #UN #Hindihttps://t.co/TUdrhm4CEX

— Ruchira Kamboj (@ruchirakamboj) July 17, 2023

Ambassador Kamboj emphasized the significance of this step toward fostering inclusive dialogue and understanding. She commended the United Nations’ efforts in mainstreaming and consolidating news and multimedia content in Hindi, which has been well-received in India and countries with a Hindi-speaking population.

The Hindi@UN project, launched in collaboration with the UN Department of Public Information in 2018, aims to enhance public outreach in Hindi and raise awareness about global issues among millions of Hindi-speaking individuals worldwide. It has utilized various platforms, including the UN News website, Twitter handle @UninHindi, Instagram handle “unitednationshindi,” a UN Facebook Hindi page, and a weekly UN News-Hindi audio bulletin.

The social media accounts associated with UN Hindi have gained a significant following, with 50,000 followers on Twitter, 29,000 on Instagram, and 15,000 on Facebook. These accounts publish nearly 1,000 posts each year, and the Hindi UN News website, with an annual impression count of 1.3 million, consistently ranks among the top ten in internet search engines.

The Government of India affirms its commitment to promoting the use of the Hindi language at the United Nations, establishing a collaborative partnership with the global organization to advance the cause of linguistic diversity and inclusion.