New York, February 27 – India and the United Nations have renewed their commitment to expanding Hindi-language broadcasting at the global body by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to continue the ‘Hindi@UN’ project for another five years.
India’s Permanent Representative signed the agreement to the UN, Ambassador P. Harish, and UN Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Global Communications (DGC), Melissa Fleming, at a ceremony held at the Permanent Mission of India on Wednesday. The renewed MoU extends the initiative from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2030.
As part of the renewed commitment, India has pledged an annual contribution of USD 1.5 million to support the project, adding to its cumulative contribution of USD 6.8 million since the initiative's inception.
Expanding Hindi Outreach at the UN
Fleming highlighted the growing influence of social media in global communication and reaffirmed the UN's commitment to enhancing Hindi-language content. She stated that the Hindi@UN project will leverage social media platforms to reach a broader Hindi-speaking audience worldwide.Ambassador Harish noted that the MoU renewal reflects India’s dedication to promoting Hindi as a key language in global diplomacy. He emphasized India’s historic commitment to multilingualism and its ongoing efforts to elevate Hindi’s presence at the UN, even as a non-official language.
A Growing Initiative Since 2018
The Hindi@UN project was launched in 2018 in collaboration with the UN Department of Public Information. The initiative aims to increase awareness of global issues among millions of Hindi speakers worldwide by broadcasting UN news in Hindi and expanding outreach through various platforms.Senior UN officials and members of the diplomatic community attended the signing ceremony. The renewal of this initiative is expected further to bolster the presence of Hindi in global discourse and strengthen India's role in multilingual communication at the UN.