United Nations Security Council Resolution 263 – Working languages of the Security Council

Resolution 263 (1969) of 24, January 1969

The Security Council,

Having considered the notes verbales of the Permanent Mission of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to the United Nations (S/8967) and of the Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations (S/ 8968) ,

Taking into account General Assembly resolution 2479 (XXIll) of 21 December 1968, which pointed out that the use of several languages by the United Nations could constitute an enrichment and a means of attaining the objectives of the Charter of the United Nations and that the General Assembly considers it desirable to include Russian and Spanish among the working languages of the Security Council,

Decides to include Russian and Spanish among the working languages of the Security Council and, in this connexion, to amend rules 41, 42, 43 and 44 of the provisional rules of procedure of the Security Council, in accordance with the annex to the present resolution.

ANNEX

Revised text of rules 41, 42, 43 an<l 44 of the provisional rules of procedure of the Security Council

Rule 41

Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish shall be the official languages of the Security Council, and English, French, Russian and Spanish the working languages.

Rule 42

Speeches made in one of the working languages shall be interpreted into the other working languages.

Rule 43

Speeches made in the official languages shall be interpreted into the working languages.

Rule 44

Any representative may make a speech in a language other than the official languages. In this case he shall himself provide for interpretation into one of the working languages.

Interpretation into the other working languages by an interpreter of the Secretariat may be based on the interpretation given in the first working language.

Adopted at the 1463rd meeting.