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| UNGA Interpretation Trials: When Sacred Text Meets Diplomacy |
UNGA Interpretation Challenges: When Sacred Text Meets Multilingual Diplomacy
I was listening spontaneously to my favorite TV media channel when the Pakistani Prime Minister, Mohamed Shahbaz Sharif, began his speech at the United Nations General Assembly. What struck me most was that he opened with a profound and relevant verse from the Holy Qur’an.
Arabic Verse (Al-Baqarah 2:177):
Translation by Dr. Feras Q. Hamza, Tafsir al-Jalalayn:
“Righteousness is not that you turn your faces towards the East or the West. Rather, righteousness is [in] the one who believes in God, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets; who gives his wealth, despite his love of it, to kinsfolk, orphans, the needy, the traveller, beggars, and for freeing slaves; and who establishes prayer and pays alms; those who fulfil their covenant when they make it, and who are steadfast in hardship and tribulation, and in time of peril. Those are the ones who are true, and those are the God-fearing.”
In the first place, my immediate instinct, or what we would call in French "Réflexe intellectuel", was: How did the interpreters manage this situation?
The Prime Minister was expected to deliver his speech in Urdu or in English, and indeed the UN had prepared accordingly. Yet here he was, opening in Arabic, a language not necessarily accessible to the interpreters assigned to render his words into English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean!
The Situation having caused a UNGA Interpretation Concern
At the UNGA, interpreters work from a single assigned source language. Those in the French, Spanish, or Chinese booths were relying on the Prime Minister’s speech being in English or Urdu, but not Arabic. Suddenly confronted with a Qur’anic verse, they were placed in a professional dilemma.
The Challenge in such a UNGA Interpretation Context
The Possible Solution within the UNGA Interpretation Scenarios
Furthermore, the UN Interpretation Service may have turned to the Arabic booth, asking an interpreter for example to provide a “relay” translation into English. From there, others could re-interpret into their respective languages.
Yet, relay interpretation is far from ideal:
- It introduces delays, since one booth must finish before another starts.
- It increases the risk of distortion as nuances are easily lost in double translation.
- With a sacred text, even a small shift can change meaning or tone.
Organizational Limits of the UNGA Interepretation Section
Assuming the UN mobilized Arabic interpreters instantly, they could not possibly cover all official UN languages at once. The system relies on trust, speed, and collaboration. What makes this case unique is that it highlights the fragility of simultaneous interpretation when faced with unexpected language switches.
Broader Lessons Based on UNGA Interpretation Sections Experience
Larger Question
Consequently, such an incident raises broader issues:
- Should interpreters anticipate sudden shifts into religious or poetic language?
- How much cultural preparation is reasonable for interpreters to carry?
- And how do such moments affect the credibility of multilingual diplomacy at the UN?
Historical Echoes of UNGA Interepretation Matters
This was not the first time interpreters faced such a surprise. Over the years, leaders have occasionally begun speeches with poetry, proverbs, or scriptural references. Each time, interpreters had to think on their feet, often with little or no preparation. What makes Sharif’s case remarkable is that it involved a sacred text in a different language than expected.
Translation Techniques Used:
Accordingly, this article fits very well within the theory and practice of translation studies. Since we’re focusing on interpreters at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and their struggle when a speech suddenly starts with a Qur’anic verse, here are the most relevant translation / interpretation techniques we may allocate our article to:
1. Cultural Translation / Societal Mediation
Because interpreters face the challenge of rendering a sacred Arabic text into languages they may not master in its original form, this is more than linguistic transfer; it’s about carrying religious, cultural, and contextual meaning.
2. Intersemiotic Translation
Furthermore, the Qur’an verse functions not only as text but as a cultural-religious symbol. Interpreters must navigate meaning beyond words, often without direct equivalents in the target language.
3. Relay Interpretation / Pivoting
Thus, if the English booth receives the Qur’an verse in Arabic, they might need to rely on Arabic interpreters who then render it into English, from which all other interpreters (French, Spanish, Chinese, etc.) continue. This “relay” system is highly relevant to this particular case.
4. Explicitation
Subsequently, interpreters may have to make implicit meanings explicit, for instance, clarifying that the quote is from the Qur’an (and which verse) if that’s not immediately clear to listeners.
5. Equivalence vs. Faithfulness
They must decide: do they translate word-for-word (literal, but possibly obscure) or convey the spirit of the verse (dynamic equivalence, but with interpretive risk)?
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the episode reminds us that interpretation at the United Nations is not a mere technical exercise of “converting words.” It is an act of diplomatic responsibility, cultural sensitivity, and intellectual agility.
When Prime Minister Sharif opened with the Qur’an, interpreters were placed in an impossible position: bridging multiple languages, preserving sacred meaning, and maintaining the flow of world diplomacy, all in real time.
This is the hidden weight of the interpreter profession, and it deserves full recognition!