The United Nations 66th Session of the General Assembly kicks-off on September 13, 2011, at its New York Headquarters. At this event, Taiwan will continue to vie for participation in UN specialized agencies and mechanisms, the Island nation’s foreign affairs ministry said.
“The Republic of China (Taiwan) will continue with pragmatic approach by requesting its diplomatic allies to voice for Taiwan to seek international support for its meaningful participation in the UN system, especially observership in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Since being invited to the World Health Assembly as an observer in 2009, Taiwan has put priority on the aforementioned two specialized agencies/mechanisms. In its demands for inclusion, Taiwan will maintain rational and pragmatic approaches to gradually broaden its international participation.”
At this year’s General Assembly, the heads of state and other high-level officials of the UN’s 193 member states will gather in New York to discuss various issues of global concern. “Taiwan urges its diplomatic allies and other friendly nations to speak up for Taiwan on the following occasions: A) General Debate of the UN General Assembly on September 21-24 and on September 26-27; B) High-level Plenary Meeting on Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases.”
Taiwan, as a key player in the world economy and a vanguard in the global high-tech industry, desires to make even greater contributions to the international community. Therefore, it hopes that all countries will accept Taiwan’s participation in the United Nations system following the “WHA model.” This arrangement allows Taiwan to attend the WHA as an observer and sets an instrumental precedent for Taiwan’s engagement in UN specialized agencies/mechanisms. Taiwan also urges the United Nations to be more open-minded and creative in finding solutions for Taiwan to meaningfully partake in UN specialized agencies and mechanisms, such as ICAO and the UNFCCC. To include the 23 million people of Taiwan in the UN system would serve the best interest of all countries.
Participation in the UN System has been a common aspiration of the people of Taiwan and, therefore, an objective of the government. Taiwan would like to extend its appreciation to countries that recognize and support Taiwan’s appeals. Thus far this year, the European Parliament, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Association of Pacific Island Legislatures, Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments and 22 US states all have adopted resolutions in support of our bid for meaningful participation in related UN specialized agencies and mechanisms. The government will continue to “uphold the nation’s dignity” and seek “meaningful participation” in the UN system through rational and pragmatic ways. Taiwan urges its diplomatic allies and other friendly nations to show their support on important occasions hosted by UN agencies so as to help Taiwan realize its goal at the earliest moment possible.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also calls on people of all walks of society and political affiliation to back the government’s efforts to gain the support of the international community.
