September 29, 2016
No.211
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its heartfelt appreciation to diplomatic allies for supporting at the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly, which took place at the UN headquarters on September 13, 2016, the efforts of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to gain meaningful participation. The General Debate was held between September 20 and 26, during which time 13 heads of state, heads of government or representatives spoke in favor of Taiwan’s participation. Another 16 permanent representatives or charge d’affaires to the United Nations jointly or individually wrote to the UN secretary-general to back Taiwan. In total, 16 diplomatic allies extended support during this year’s General Assembly.
The 13 countries voiced their support in UNGA for Taiwan’s meaningful participation are Belize, Haiti, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Paraguay, St. Christopher and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Swaziland and Tuvalu. They called on the United Nations to heed the fundamental rights of the 23 million people of Taiwan to participate in UN-specialized agencies, such as the World Health Organization, International Civil Aviation Organization, and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. They also urged the UN to devise ways to seek appropriate ways to include Taiwan’s involvement in and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as its participation in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Fourteen permanent representatives or charge d’affaires of the ROC’s diplomatic allies (Belize, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Haiti, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, St. Christopher and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, São Tomé and Príncipe, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, and Tuvalu) jointly signed a letter to the UN secretary-general. In it, they emphasized the need to include Taiwan in UN specialized agencies and help realize the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, the permanent representative of Nicaragua and the charge d’affaires of Paraguay to the United Nations each sent letters to the UN secretary-general to the same effect.
On September 15, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York worked with the permanent representatives of Belize and Palau to the United Nations and the Academic Council on the United Nations System to hold the international symposium Engaging and Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Examples from Taiwan and Others. The event shed light on Taiwan’s successful international cooperation on SDGs aid programs and efforts to participate in the UN system and contribute to the international community.
MOFA would like to once again thank these diplomatic allies for speaking up for the ROC and writing, whether individually or jointly, to the UN secretary-general to express their support for Taiwan’s participation in UN specialized agencies and commend the ROC’s commitment to realizing SDGs. Such concrete actions are instrumental in demonstrating that Taiwan is a proactive contributor to peace and remains willing and able to maintain dialogue with all sides on global issues and contribute to the world.
The ROC also calls on the United Nations and all parties concerned to listen to the voice of the people of Taiwan, heed the actions Taiwan takes as a responsible global citizen, seek pragmatic and feasible ways to include Taiwan’s participation in UN specialized agencies, and realize the SDGs for the benefit of all mankind.（E）