March 12, 2019
No.055
The US Department of State held the first Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in July 2018, launching the Potomac Plan of Action that called on participating states to create Ambassador at Large positions for religious freedom. The US Department of State also announced the establishment of the International Religious Freedom Fund (I-ReFF) that encourages countries to make donations and leverage related resources for the promotion of religious freedom around the world.
In response to these US initiatives, President Tsai Ing-wen appointed Pusin Tali, President of the Yu-Shan Theological College and Seminary, as Taiwan’s first Ambassador at Large for religious freedom following a comprehensive monthslong selection process. Ambassador Tali will be tasked with representing the Taiwan government in working with like-minded countries and civic groups worldwide to strengthen international links and cooperation for religious freedom.
Furthermore, the Taiwan government plans to donate US$200,000 per year for a period of five years to the I-ReFF. Besides the US, European countries such as the Netherlands and Norway have also pledged to make donations. The Taiwan government is thus willing to make concrete contributions to advancing global religious freedom, and will maintain close contact with the US Department of State to ensure that I-ReFF resources are allocated to those individuals and groups who need them the most.（E）