Which one of the following is not an official language of the United Nations Organisation (UNO)?

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your basic general knowledge of international organisations, specifically the United Nations Organisation (UNO). The UNO works with a set of officially recognised languages that are used for its meetings, documents, and simultaneous interpretation. Knowing which languages are official at the United Nations is a common examination topic for competitive exams and general studies papers.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The organisation in question is the United Nations.
• The term “official language” refers to languages used for official documentation and interpretation in UN meetings.
• The options are French, Arabic, Spanish and Japanese.
• We assume the standard, widely accepted list of UN official languages.

Concept / Approach:
The United Nations has six official languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic. Any language outside this set is not considered an official UN language, even though it may be a major world language. The strategy is straightforward: recall the official list and then compare it with the options provided. The language that does not appear in the list of six is the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List the six official languages of the United Nations: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic.Step 2: Examine the options: French is on the list, so it is an official language.Step 3: Arabic is also on the list, so it is an official language.Step 4: Spanish is on the official list as well.Step 5: Japanese is not among the six official UN languages, although Japan is a major member country.Step 6: Therefore, the language that is not an official UN language is Japanese.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can cross check by remembering common UN events or meetings, where simultaneous interpretation is often specifically mentioned as available in six languages, and Japanese is not one of them. Another check is to recall that Russian and Chinese are official UN languages even though they do not appear in the options, which often confuses candidates. Since the UN has exactly six official languages and Japanese is not on that list, our conclusion is confirmed.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
French is one of the earliest official languages of the UN and is widely used in international diplomacy.
Arabic was later added as an official language and is important due to the large number of member states using it.
Spanish is also an official language because many UN member states in Latin America and elsewhere use it. Since all three are official UN languages, they cannot be correct answers to this question.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent error is to assume that a country with a strong global economic presence automatically has its language as an official UN language. This may lead students to wrongly think Japanese or German is official. Another pitfall is confusion between “working languages” in some UN agencies and “official languages” of the entire UN system. Carefully memorising the six official languages helps avoid such confusion.

Final Answer:
The language that is not an official language of the United Nations is Japanese.