Louise Arbour, winner of the Tang Prize in rule of law this year, yesterday said that it makes sense for Taiwan to have a seat in international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), where the participation of every nation is important.
Arbour, who received the award at a ceremony in Taipei on Sunday, made the comment during a discussion session after giving a speech at National Taiwan University on the rule of law.
When asked during the discussion to comment on Taiwan’s exclusion from this year’s ICAO Assembly in Canada, the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. and Supreme Court of Canada judge, said Taiwan has a strong case for inclusion in organizations where international interest in universal participation in high.
“This is why I find it surprising that in the field of international aviation, that there could be an exclusion of a player,” she said.
“It doesn’t make a lot of sense to use political principles or rules or interests in keeping out partners who need to be enlisted for the greater good,” Arbour said.
“Whatever the method of accommodating Taiwan having a seat at the table, I think it makes sense,” she said.
Meanwhile, in a commentary published by online magazine The Diplomat, David Sutton, a research analyst at the NATO Association of Canada, said the ICAO’s decision to not invite Taiwan to its general assembly due to Chinese pressure is against international principles and the best interests of aviation safety.
Excluding Taiwan from the 39th ICAO Assembly, which was scheduled to open yesterday in Montreal, was the result of a wider campaign of pressure by Beijing to isolate Taiwan from the international community, he said.
The move violates the UN spirit of developing friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, Sutton said in a commentary.
“China, or any other country, should not dictate world affairs on the basis of threats, particularly when it is contrary to the spirit of cooperation and constructive progress,” he said.
He said Taiwan’s highly developed and globalized economy is a sizable contributor to air traffic and would affect or be affected by any changes to regulations by which it currently abides.
As Taiwan was invited to attend the last ICAO Assembly in 2013, there is no reason its participation should not continue, he said.
“If Taiwan’s delegation is not welcomed in Montreal this week, it will be another unfortunate precedent of Beijing’s unnecessary and unconstructive interference in a global regulatory body to the determent of unified progress and cooperation,” Sutton said.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS