The UN Sustainable Development Goals Advisory Council of Parliament was yesterday established under the Legislative Yuan, with lawmakers vowing to push the government toward achieving the goals.
The council selected Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) as chairwoman, and DPP legislators Karen Yu (余宛如) and Kolas Yotaka and New Power Party Legislator Kawlo Iyun Pacidal as vice chairwomen.
The council is devoted to urging and supervising the government toward formulating policies to achieve the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and to improve interactions between the government and non-governmental organizations in Taiwan and abroad, Lin said.
There is already an Association for Sustainable Development in the Legislative Yuan, which primarily focuses on environmental issues, but the council is to focus on broader issues, such as women’s rights, education and social welfare, Lin said.
Taiwan has encountered difficulties in participating in international bodies due to political constraints, but that should not deter the nation from taking up the responsibility of reaching the goals, Lin said.
“The discussion of Taiwan’s international participation has mainly focused on its isolation, but we should take more responsibilities, especially the goal of global partnership,” she said.
“Parliament-to-parliament exchanges with other nations can prevent Taiwan from becoming the missing piece in international relations and UN’s Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.
Taiwan can exercise its soft power internationally and make a reputation among leading nations by working on the sustainable development issues, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Chih-Chung Wu (吳志中) said.
Environmental Protection Administration Deputy Minister Thomas Shun-Kuei Chan (詹順貴) said that his agency, compared with other government bodies, has more opportunities in breaking the diplomatic deadlock, and sustainable development issues can be a starting point for improved diplomatic relations.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
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