October 7, 2016
No.226
European politicians—including the co-chair of the Belgian parliament’s Belgium-Taiwan Friendship Group, a German parliamentarian, and the Honorary chairperson of the European Parliament-Taiwan Friendship Group—have recently issued a number of statements, press releases and website articles expressing support for the ROC’s participation in international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), among which include:
I. Peter Luykx, co-chair of the Belgian parliament’s Belgium-Taiwan Friendship Group, made a statement on October 6 expressing concern and regret over the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) not receiving an invitation to take part in the 39th ICAO Assembly.
A. Part of Mr. Luykx’s statement reads: “Taiwan’s participation in international organizations is in the interests of not just Belgium or the EU, but the international community. Only through such practical participation will Taiwan be able to share information and expertise, comply with up to date standards and receive technical assistance from international organizations such as ICAO, INTERPOL, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).”
B. Mr. Luykx further points out that Taiwan hopes to obtain observer status in attending the 85th INTERPOL General Assembly, which will be held in November 2016, and adds that at a time when international threats, including international terrorism, are ongoing, “it has become more crucial than ever for Taiwan to take part in INTERPOL. Without this, Taiwan is unable to share information on criminals and suspicious activity with the international community in a timely manner, leaving a huge void in global crime-fighting efforts and leaving the entire world vulnerable.”
II. German parliamentarian Anita Schäfer issued a press release, in German, expressing incomprehension as to why the ROC was not invited to attend this year’s ICAO Assembly, and the fact that Taiwanese journalists were denied access to cover the event, deeming this to be inconsistent with the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations. The press release also states that to ensure the safety of global passengers, Taiwan, as a transportation hub in East Asia, is in great need of reliable, timely and first-hand aviation-related information.
III. Dr. Charles Tannock, chairman of the European Parliament-Taiwan Friendship Group, expressed support for the ROC’s participation in ICAO during an interview on September 21, and followed this with a later, October 6 tweet stating his disappointment that the ROC had not been invited to attend this year’s ICAO Assembly.
The ROC government expresses its heartfelt appreciation for the friendship shown by these European politicians, and will continue to seek participation in such UN specialized agencies as ICAO and related international organizations via appropriate means. (E)