Former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan said on Thursday that although Taiwan is outside the UN framework, it should still contribute to addressing the problems of global warming.
Annan now heads the Geneva-based non-governmental organization the Global Humanitarian Forum, which concentrates on the humanitarian impact of climate change on the poor and other vulnerable groups.
In an informal meeting with members of the press in Geneva, Annan was asked by a CNA reporter for his views on the fact that Taiwan, the world's 22nd largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is not a member of the UN and therefore not a part of global cooperative efforts under the UN framework to fight climate change and whether the forum can facilitate the participation of non-UN member states in the global effort.
In response, Annan said on the political side, Taiwan has been trying very hard to join the UN.
"You tried almost every year when I was there and I know the efforts continue with my successor," he said.
"But on the substance of whether a country like Taiwan should become engaged in both mitigation and adaptation, I would say yes," he said.
He said there were more than 200 countries, more than the total number of UN member states, participating in the UN Climate Change Conference in Indonesia, because they realized whether or not they belong to the UN or other world bodies, "we are living in the same world and have the possibility to do something about the environment."
Annan said when facing climate change, each country should take action to deal with the problem without focusing on the issue of participation in certain groups.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS