The annual debate of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly concluded on Tuesday, during which 16 of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies spoke out for the country, the same number as last year.
Taiwan should be allowed to participate in UN specialized organizations, said the heads of state, high-ranking government officials and representatives from the allies during the assembly, which began on Sept. 24.
The international organizations include the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the WHO, they said, recognizing the contributions Taiwan has already made.
Belizean Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington said on Tuesday that his country has benefited from Taiwan’s help and urged that Taipei be permitted to participate in the specialized agencies.
“In this modern day and age, it is incomprehensible that we should want to deny ourselves the benefit of their [Taiwan’s] expertise in dealing with global issues,” Elrington said.
Solomon Islands permanent representative to the UN Collin Beck cited the 45 million passengers who passed through Taiwan in 2012 as a reason to include the country in the ICAO.
“We just do not have the luxury of time to turn a blind eye to needed cooperation. The global challenges before us are too big for narrow interests to take a wait and see approach, and keep postponing needed action,” Beck said.
Beck described Taiwan as the 27th-largest economy in the world with “experience, technology and capability that our shared agenda can benefit from.”
“We have all to gain and nothing to lose by inviting the Republic of China [to become the] 195th member of the UNFCCC, 192nd member of ICAO and the 195th member of WHO,” Beck said, according to a UN transcript of the speech.
Among others who spoke for Taiwan were Saint Lucia Minister of External Affairs Alva Baptiste, Nicaraguan Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Santos Lopez and Paraguayan permanent representative to the UN Jose Antonio Dos Santos.
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