August 29, 2023
No. 283
The 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is scheduled to commence at UN Headquarters in New York on September 5, with the General Debate to be held from September 19 to 26. The theme for this year’s UNGA is “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) towards peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all.” It highlights UN awareness that the world is at a crossroads and the priority is for all nations to join together and hasten efforts to realize sustainable development.
Over the past year, the world has faced many challenges. Authoritarian expansionism has caused severe humanitarian and economic crises for nations across the globe and threatened the rules-based international order. The war that Russia launched against Ukraine has seriously disrupted regional and global peace in a marked deviation from the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes as codified in the UN Charter. Meanwhile, China’s continued military provocations substantively altered the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and jeopardized peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
Furthermore, collective participation by all nations is required to address climate change, postpandemic recovery, sustainable development, and other transnational issues. For years, Taiwan has been an international force for good and a responsible member of the global community, willing to work with nations worldwide to contribute its capabilities and experience to achieve sustainable growth and postpandemic recovery across the globe.
However, the UN has long yielded to pressure from China, continuing to erroneously interpret UNGA Resolution 2758 and inappropriately excluding Taiwan from the UN system. Taiwan nationals and journalists are denied access to UN premises to visit, attend meetings and activities, and engage in newsgathering. Taiwan is also unable to participate or make contributions to UN-related meetings, mechanisms, and activities. Taiwan again stresses that UNGA Resolution 2758 has nothing to do with Taiwan and does not authorize the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to represent Taiwan in the UN system. That neither the Republic of China (Taiwan) nor the PRC is subordinate to the other is an indisputable fact and the objective status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Only the democratically elected government of Taiwan can represent the Taiwanese people in the UN system.
This year, Taiwan makes four appeals in its bid for UN participation:
1. The United Nations should take action to address the unjustified exclusion of Taiwan’s 23 million people from the UN system, which stems from the misrepresentation of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758.
2. The United Nations’ discriminatory policy against Taiwan passport holders and journalists must be rectified immediately.
3. The United Nations should actively facilitate peace, stability, and security across the Taiwan Strait and the region.
4. Taiwan should be afforded the right to meaningfully participate in meetings, mechanisms, and activities related to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and make greater contributions.
The government will continue to push forward with its UN campaign in a steadfast and pragmatic manner.
It will invite diplomatic allies to speak up for Taiwan during the UN General Debate and their permanent representatives to the UN to submit a joint letter to UN Secretary-General Antόnio Guterres urging him to rectify the UN’s erroneous interpretation of UNGA Resolution 2758, so as to fundamentally resolve the issue of the exclusion of Taiwan’s 23 million people from the UN system and realize the UN vision of “Leave no one behind”. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will also invite young foreign nationals who have studied in Taiwan on scholarships to share Taiwan’s appeals so as to garner broader support.
In addition, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu published op-eds in prominent international media outlets, urging countries to take note of and condemn China’s military provocations and irresponsible actions that have undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Reiterating that Taiwan is a reliable and indispensable partner, he also called on the international community to accept Taiwan’s participation in responses to the interconnected challenges the world faces.
On August 28, MOFA released a short film, entitled To Equality, featuring five true stories that showcase Taiwan’s efforts and contributions to achieving SDGs in the domains of education, gender equality, good health and well-being, zero hunger, and global partnerships.
To enhance understanding of Taiwan among the UN and the international community, the government also plans to host four side events in New York during the UNGA, focusing on peace and security across the Taiwan Strait, sustainable development, public health, and technology policies. Visual materials will also be made available. A cross-party delegation of legislators will travel to New York to help convey—through activities to support Taiwan’s campaign—the message that the people of Taiwan aspire to participate in the UN system.
MOFA sincerely thanks diplomatic allies, friendly countries, civil society, and overseas compatriot communities for their long-standing support and assistance regarding Taiwan’s efforts to expand its international participation. MOFA is also grateful for the staunch international support for Taiwan’s democracy and for security across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan again calls on the UN to duly recognize Taiwan as an indispensable actor in the preservation of global peace and stability and the pursuit of the SDGs and to immediately bring Taiwan into its fold. (E)