Two days before National Children's Day, a non-governmental organization (NGO) alliance appealed to the newly-elected government to campaign for Taiwan so it could join the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child by 2003.
The Steering Alliance of Taiwan's Acceding to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, composed of 23 NGOs and endorsed by 57 legislators, asked president-elect Chen Shui-bian (
The Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the UN in 1989 and has been signed by more than 167 member states.
It was dedicated to every child under the age of 18 and is one of the most strongly supported UN human rights conventions.
"Joining the UN convention is a new starting point for establishing human rights diplomacy as well as public diplomacy," an alliance statement read.
Liao Fu-te (
"In Taiwan we do have a specific welfare policy for children. However, compared to the UN's recognition of children as subjects and respect for their inherent rights, our concept of `welfare' does not favor adults over children," Liao said. "Every child is an individual and is entitled to their own rights."
Lai Chin-lin (
A timetable was also scheduled to incorporate children's rights into the curricula of primary and high schools, as well as establish a budget for foreign aid for the children in developing countries by 2002, regardless of whether they have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
"We hope to submit the application to the UN in 2003," he said.
Aware of Taiwan's pariah status in the international community, the alliance also considered the campaign's possible hurdles but did not expect to encounter hostility auch as Taiwan faces when it attempts full membership in the UN.
"Although China has veto power in the UN Security Council, it has none in the General Assembly," said Liao, adding that the campaign would not be easy.
Liao urged the government to seek support for the campaign from UN member states in Europe, the US and Japan.
"The European countries are most concerned with human rights and we believe few countries would deny Taiwan's entry to the convention," he said.
In 1996, End Child Prostitution Association Taiwan (ECPAT) launched a similar campaign on a smaller scale same but was stalled by opposition from UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund).
"We wrote letters to UNICEF demonstrating our efforts to join the convention," said Lee Li-feng (李麗芬), secretary-general of ECPAT. "But UNICEF was as political as all the international organizations and denied our application. However, they suggested Taiwan restart its campaign from the private NGOs and then connect with international NGOs."
"Submitting to the UN is the last stage. We still have a long way to go," she said.
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
WARNING: People in coastal areas need to beware of heavy swells and strong winds, and those in mountainous areas should brace for heavy rain, the CWA said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued sea and land warnings for Typhoon Ragasa, forecasting that it would continue to intensify and affect the nation the most today and tomorrow. People in Hualien and Taitung counties, and mountainous areas in Yilan and Pingtung counties, should brace for damage caused by extremely heavy rain brought by the typhoon’s outer rim, as it was upgraded to a super typhoon yesterday morning, the CWA said. As of 5:30pm yesterday, the storm’s center was about 630km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving northwest at 21kph, and its maximum wind speed had reached
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said that it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa this morning and a land warning at night as it approached Taiwan. Ragasa intensified from a tropical storm into a typhoon at 8am yesterday, the CWA said, adding that at 2pm, it was about 1,110km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip. The typhoon was moving northwest at 13kph, with sustained winds of up to 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA Web site showed. Forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said that Ragasa was projected to strengthen as it neared the Bashi Channel, with its 200km
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hualien and Taitung counties declared today a typhoon day, while schools and offices in parts of Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties are also to close Typhoon Ragasa was forecast to hit its peak strength and come closest to Taiwan from yesterday afternoon through today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Taiwan proper could be out of the typhoon’s radius by midday and the sea warning might be lifted tonight, it added. CWA senior weather specialist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said that Ragasa’s radius had reached the Hengchun Peninsula by 11am yesterday and was expected to hit Taitung County and Kaohsiung by yesterday evening. Ragasa was forecast to move to Taiwan’s southern offshore areas last night and to its southwestern offshore areas early today, she added. As of 8pm last night,