Most people are somewhat interested in politics. But the ones who follow political news regularly are not that great in number. So, there are many things related to national and international politics that only a few people are aware of. A lot of people have an opinion about their country’s foreign policy. But not all of them are aware of the guidelines that govern the said policy. The same way, all of us know of the United Nations. We have also heard of the Security Council and maybe listened to a couple of speeches delivered by the heads of different states. But beyond that, not a lot of us are aware of the workings of the UN.

What Does the United Nations Use for Real Time Translation?

There are 193 permanent members of the UN, and since ours is a culturally and linguistically diverse world, all of those states bring something unique to the table. The United Nations General Assembly is a place for countries to discuss the world’s problems and find out solutions that can work in favor of all human beings. Over the years, various programs of the UN have helped people living in warzones. They have different missions for refugees and the poor. It has brought together different nations to work for the betterment of humanity.

But since all the members belong to different countries, they speak various vernaculars. The UN recognizes six different languages and gives them the official status, but they don’t cover all the members of the organization. As a result, whenever there is a meeting of the General Assembly or the Security Council, real-time translation is required, so everyone in the audience can understand the speaker and prepare their speech accordingly. Whenever it is speeches that need to be interpreted, qualified interpreters are called for help. Speakers who cannot talk in one of the official vernaculars of the UN bring their own interpreters.

However, when it comes to documents, whether they are the official papers of the UN or brought to the assembly by the speaker as proof, they can only be handled by translators. For this action, qualified and experienced translators are asked to provide real-time results while handling essential documents. If the papers are not translated quickly, it will slow down the working of the assembly. Most of the time, the matters being discussed at the UN are of urgent nature. They require quick solutions. Sometimes, emergency sessions are called to discuss a new threat to world peace. It proves that time is often a luxury on the international front. So, whenever there is a need for linguistic assistance, the UN turns to the following kind of professionals:

1. Interpreters:

The interpreters who have to work at the organization must have a specialized skillset. They are not only required to offer quick help, but they must also be aware of the context behind each discussion; otherwise, they won’t be able to do a good job. They should also be familiar with the culture of the speaker, or they will miss essential details in the speech. The attendees may understand one of the six official languages of the United Nations, but that doesn’t mean all of them will be fluent in those tongues. This is why it is up to the interpreter to deliver results in an easily comprehensible language. They are supposed to keep things simple and plain for the listeners without affecting the meaning behind words.

2. Translators:

When it comes to documents, a particular type of assistance is required that only a highly experienced expert can provide. Papers and records containing sensitive information cannot be handed over to someone who doesn’t know what they are doing. This is why when a real-time translation is required of papers; translators are called in for help. It is their duty to offer clean and concise translations. They should also keep the language simple so the audience won’t have any trouble understanding the subject matter.

But along with the simplicity, a hundred percent accuracy is also pretty important. It is only with the help of experts that the members manage to look through a document and make crucial decisions. This is why linguistic experts are so vital to organizations like the UN that work with people from all over the world.

Getting a job as a language expert at the United Nations is not easy. They require people to be experts in multiple languages before offering them a position. But this is why it is a very prestigious position for a linguistic expert. Many translators work their whole life to get close to their goal of working at the UN. Along with being a highly valued job, it is also one that helps you make a difference in the world. You can bring together countries and end conflicts just by using your expertise to interpret and translate crucial speeches and papers.

Translation has helped people all over the world repeatedly, but its importance keeps on rising with every passing day. In the future, more people will be benefitting from the work of professionals from the language industry. For now, we can sit back and see the magic of linguistic experts that manages to bring together even the most distant people. The future of our world will be safe as long as we keep on trying to understand each other. There won’t be any misunderstandings, all thanks to the linguistic industry.