Alexander Tah-ray Yui
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
December 5, 2022
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Good morning!
Welcome to the 2022 NGO Leaders Forum hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). This is the forum's third consecutive year as we seek to establish a regular platform for dialogue between government and NGOs. Over 600 NGO leaders, government officials, business representatives, and other guests have already taken part in this meaningful event. By meeting face-to-face, we can find common ground, help strengthen the virtuous cycle created by civil society, and explore how to expand Taiwan's participation in and contributions to the international community.
The main theme for today's forum is “Challenges and Opportunities: Taiwan's Public-Private Partnerships in Promoting Peace and Justice in Global Governance.” It has been a turbulent year for the whole world—a year that has posed challenges to global democracy and freedom. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February and China's military exercises around Taiwan in August have both threatened the rules-based international order. At this critical juncture, Taiwan's public and private sectors continue to work together to promote peace and justice and strengthen solidarity, further enhancing Taiwan's resilience and showing the world that Taiwan can help.
We are very honored to be joined at today's opening ceremony by an old friend of mine—Dr. Otmar Kloiber, Secretary-General of the World Medical Association (WMA). Dr. Kloiber will deliver a keynote speech in just a few minutes. The WMA has always been a strong supporter of Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization and global health-related mechanisms. On behalf of the government and people of Taiwan, I would like to extend our appreciation to Dr. Kloiber and the WMA.
Dr. Kloiber's keynote speech will be followed by three sessions. Given Taiwan's emerging role as a hub for INGOs in the Asia-Pacific region, the first session will focus on “INGOs in Taiwan: Building a Global Network of Democracy and Peace.” Key INGO representatives who have set up offices here in the last two years will share their organizations' vision and achievements and tell us why Taiwan matters.
The second session will be “Taiwan NGOs Stand with Ukraine.” Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Taiwan's NGOs have been actively and steadfastly involved in emergency humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine and neighboring countries, assisting refugees and displaced people. In Taiwan, MOFA initiated a drive in March to collect in-kind donations for Ukrainian refugees. The people of Taiwan responded in an overwhelming fashion, and local NGOs and volunteers worked tirelessly to help sort and package materials and ensure the campaign was successful. This afternoon, some of these NGOs will talk about their relentless efforts to support Ukraine through emergency aid and international cooperation.
The third session will be on “Taiwan's Path to Gender Equality.” In recent years, Taiwan has gained worldwide attention and praise for its promotion of women's empowerment and gender equality. Experts on these subjects will join us to discuss emerging issues on global gender equality and the innovative approaches that Taiwan's women's groups are adopting to expand and strengthen their connections with the international community.
The NGO leaders and other participants here today are valuable resources and key assets for Taiwan's diplomatic efforts. I would like to thank all of you for your enthusiastic participation and for your support of Taiwan's diplomacy. We look forward to strengthening partnerships with NGOs further in the coming years so that Taiwan's soft power is even more visible to the international community. Finally, I would like to wish today's forum great success and good health to all participants. Thank you!