Pacific Islands Leadership Program with Taiwan kicked off Sept. 25 in Taipei City, underscoring the commitment of the Republic of China (Taiwan) government to further advancing collaborative relations among Taiwan, the U.S. and various nations in the Pacific region.
The program succinctly demonstrates what can be achieved by working together, said Jose Maria Liu, vice minister of foreign affairs, during the opening ceremony attended by ambassadors to the ROC and members of the Taiwan-stationed diplomatic corps.
According to Liu, Taiwan and Pacific island nations share overlapping interests in the areas of clean energy, climate change, environmental protection and regional security. PILP is an extremely effective platform for addressing these and other challenges arising in the future, he added.
Robert Forden, deputy director of the American Institute in Taiwan, said Taiwan is the best partner for providing invaluable opportunities for citizens of Pacific region nations to enhance their leadership capabilities.
Taiwan is the regional leader in economic, environmental, health care and social benchmarks, he said, adding that Washington has witnessed firsthand Taipei’s commitment to helping Pacific island countries attain greater prosperity. “Taiwan’s investment in cultivating the next generation of Pacific leaders through this program is just another reflection of this commitment.”
PILP was proposed by Kurt Campbell, then assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, in November 2011 and negotiated by Rajiv Shah, then administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, during a visit to Taiwan in December the same year. The program was finalized under a memorandum of understanding inked by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Honolulu-based education and research institution East-West Center in December 2012.
This year’s edition of PILP involves 27 officials and professionals from 10 Pacific nations. They participated in leadership courses at EWC in Honolulu for six weeks, and will undertake a five-week program of field trips, seminars and workshops in Taiwan until Oct. 25.
Organized by the MOFA’s Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs, the Taiwan leg of PILP brings participants up to speed on such topics as community development, disaster management, education, environmental protection, green energy, health care, indigenous culture, industry revitalization, international cooperation, nongovernmental organizations and vocational training.
Participants will also attend ROC Double Tenth National Day celebrations, visit some of Taiwan’s most important cultural sites like National Palace Museum and Taipei 101, and take part in fact-finding visits to the headquarters of several local businesses.
According to the MOFA, it expects to sign a new memorandum of understanding with EWC later this month extending PILP until 2022. (SFC-E)