Staunch support for the meaningful participation of Taiwan in the U.N. system shown by the country’s allies and partners during the General Assembly in New York is deeply appreciated by the government and people, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Oct. 2.
Belize, Guatemala, Haiti, the Holy See, Honduras, Kingdom of Eswatini, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Paraguay, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Tuvalu urged the U.N. to resolve the issue of Taiwan’s exclusion from the world body in GA addresses or letters to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The letters urged Guterres to formulate appropriate measures for allowing the country’s passport holders to U.N. buildings. They also stated that Taiwan’s omission runs counter to the world body’s founding principle of universality.
Such strong backing is in line with a resolution by Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists at its 30th World Congress in June. IFJ condemned the discriminatory exclusion of Taiwan reporters and called on the U.N. to accredit the country’s media professionals seeking to cover its activities, mechanisms and meetings.
Taiwan also gained strong support from Alex Azar, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, during the GA’s primary health care event. He expressed disappointment at the country’s exclusion from multilateral efforts on disease preparedness and health security.
According to the MOFA, Taiwan will continue working to realize the Sustainable Development Goals. The U.N. should treat the 23 million people of Taiwan equally while supporting the country’s basic right to participate in specialized agencies, the ministry said. (YCH-E)
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