International Organizations
If we consider the 14 most important organizations, considering all geographic continents (NAFTA, EUROPEAN UNION, AFRICAN UNION, CIS, CARICOM, CENTRAL AMERICAN MARKET, MERCOSUR, ARABIC GAFTA, INDIAN SAARC, ASEAN, APEC AND ANTARTIC TREATY) we can see the real power of the most important languages:
1. English: is official in 8 of them
2. Spanish: is official in 7 of them. In APEC is not official, but promoted. We can say 7.5
3. French: is official in 4 of them
4. Arabic: is official in 2 of them
5. Russian: is official in 2 of them
6. Chinese: In APEC is not official, but promoted. We can say 0.5
What about NATO? Military power is more important than economic power.
Well, perhaps.
I prefer to consider the Economic organizations in all the Continents. But we can do other list with Military organizations and their official language.
I think what we need to talk about is how essential those international organizations are in our life.
NATO is nothing to do with african or asian people.
APEC. Well, what is about? A company? I think without APEC, we all are good.
although English,Spanish or French are important only in "organizations", but those organizations are nothing to do with our life but craps!
I think you lost one important organization:Shanghai Economic Cooperation Organization.
Both Chinese and Russian are official there.
Those organizations exist 'behind the scenes', and hence the languages, while important for the meetings of those economists etc, have no effect on ordinary people.
<< What about NATO? Military power is more important than economic power. >>
English and French are the only official languages of NATO while German, Italian, and Spanish are not.
NAFTA, EUROPEAN UNION, AFRICAN UNION, CIS, CARICOM, CENTRAL AMERICAN MARKET, MERCOSUR, ARABIC GAFTA, INDIAN SAARC, ASEAN, APEC AND ANTARTIC TREATY.
They are not bigger than total members of "Shanghai Economic Cooperation Organization"
SCO is the biggest organization "geographically speaking" beside UN.
Spanish is official or at least translated in ALL the World organizations with some importance.
I remember you that NATO is not a World organization. If Mexico, Argentina or Colombia were in NATO, Spanish would be official.
It is true that French is an important diplomatic language, BUT IT IS NOT OFFICIAL in CENTRAL AMERICAN MARKET, CARICOM AND MERCOSUR, AND SPANISH IS OFFICIAL.
In the first list, where you can see the most important economic organizations, Spanish is official in 7 of them, and French only in 4. At the same time is promoted in APEC and French not.
French can't win always...
French and Spanish are both important, and no one is more important than the other
French is official translated in ALL the World organizations with huge importance.
I remember you that Mercosur is not a World organization. If French Guiana, Martinique, or Guadeloupe were in Mercosur, French would be official.
It is true that Spanish is an important diplomatic language, BUT IT IS NOT OFFICIAL in NATO, AFRICAN UNION, AND COMESA AND FRENCH IS OFFICIAL.
In the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_organisations_which_have_French_as_an_official_language list, where you can see the most important economic organizations, Spanish is official in just less than half of the list of them. At the same time is promoted in ESCAP and Spanish never.
Spanish never wins...
French and Spanish are both important, and French is more important than the other.
"What about Al-Qaida?"
It's a very powerful and important world organization.
French and Spanish are OF COURSE official languages there (lmao).