Taiwan will try to join two UN agencies this year, one on global warming and the other on civil aviation, the foreign ministry said, reflecting scaled-down ambitions for interaction with the world body.
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier Hou (侯清山) said on Monday the country would seek meaningful participation in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), although it remained undecided what titles the country would use in its bids.
He said the decision on choosing the UNFCCC and ICAO as the immediate targets was made after careful assessment.
“Drastic climate change has caused a tremendous impact on our living environment, while seeking aviation safety and convenience is in line with the common interests of people from across the Taiwan Strait as well as the entire world,” Hou said.
He called for the UNFCCC and ICAO to give favorable consideration to the needs of Taiwan’s people and to what they could contribute if admitted.
ALLIES
Taipei will ask its diplomatic allies to help promote the bids for participation at the two agencies, while its unofficial representatives in New York will approach UN members with appeals for support, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement said.
Taiwan lost its UN seat to China in 1971 and Beijing has thwarted all its previous bids to return to the world body as a full member. Taipei has tried unsuccessfully to have the world body consider the issue of its representation since 1993, but without success due to obstruction from China.
Taiwan’s supporters have tried since then to get the General Assembly to list Taiwan’s application for admission on the UN agenda, but Beijing’s pressure on member states has prevailed.
Last year, China also blocked Taiwan’s attempts to join the World Meteorological Organization and other specialized UN agencies.
“The unsuccessful pursuit has deepened the frustration of Taiwan’s people, exacerbated cross-strait tension and failed to win the sympathy of the international community,” Hou said.
To reverse this situation, in which everybody loses, the government has come up with a more flexible and pragmatic approach this year, in the hope that it will be beneficial to Taiwan, China and the world, he said.
It is hoped that Taiwan will first enter the ICAO as an observer this fall, following by admission to the UNFCCC next year, he said.
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