August 23, 2019
No.190
The 74th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly will open on September 17 at UN Headquarters. The General Debate will be held from September 24 to September 30. The Republic of China (Taiwan) government is determined to convey to the international community the aspiration of the 23 million people of Taiwan to participate in the United Nations system, launching the campaign “Taiwan, a Vital Global Partner in the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
In addition to requesting that diplomatic allies voice support for Taiwan during the General Debate, allies’ Permanent Representatives to the UN will deliver a joint letter in support of Taiwan to UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The letter will urge him to resolve Taiwan’s longstanding exclusion from the UN system based on the principles of fairness, justice and inclusiveness, and the UN’s pledge to serve all peoples around the world.
This year’s UN bid has three main, continuing appeals. First, the UN should take immediate action to resolve the inappropriate exclusion of Taiwan’s 23 million people from the UN system. Second, the UN’s discriminatory policy against Taiwanese passport holders and journalists has violated their fundamental human rights and should be rectified immediately. Third, the UN should ensure that Taiwan has the right to participate in an equal and dignified manner in meetings, mechanisms and activities related to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and thus make contributions.
To express these appeals clearly to the international community, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu has authored an op-ed entitled “Building an Inclusive United Nations with Taiwan On Board.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also produce a short promotional video detailing Taiwan’s development aid to demonstrate that Taiwan is a trustworthy partner that makes real contributions.
Alongside the UN General Assembly, the R.O.C. (Taiwan) government will host a series of side events in New York, addressing SDGs, climate change, universal health coverage, and youth empowerment. These will echo discussions at high-level meetings held on the sidelines of the General Assembly. Such activities will also help the UN community better understand Taiwan’s achievements and contributions in these areas. Civil organizations from Taiwan and overseas compatriot communities will also hold events to expand international support for Taiwan’s UN participation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs appreciates these civil groups for their initiatives.
Bidding to participate in the UN system has never been easy. Despite the difficulty, years of hard work by the government and civil society have led to increasing international support. The R.O.C. (Taiwan) government sincerely thanks its diplomatic allies as well as other friendly countries for supporting Taiwan’s participation in the UN system. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses that Taiwan is both willing and able to participate in and contribute to the UN. Furthermore, it calls on the UN to welcome Taiwan’s participation on an equal footing to help the SDGs be reached by 2030. (E)