The British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group in a statement on Friday voiced its support for Taiwan’s bid to participate in Interpol as an observer.
In the joint statement, UK Member of Parliament Nigel Evans and House of Lords deputy speaker Dennis Rogan called on Interpol to invite Taiwan to attend the Interpol General Assembly from Nov. 18 to Nov. 21 in Dubai as an observer.
“As the cochairs of the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group, we have for many years supported Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, where Taiwan can make concrete contributions, including Interpol,” Evans and Rogan said.
Photo: AP
Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) Commissioner Tsai Tsan-po (蔡蒼柏) in September sent a letter to Interpol requesting that the CIB be allowed to participate as an observer at the general assembly and in the organization’s activities.
However, on Oct. 18 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Interpol General Secretariat had notified Taiwan of its decision to reject the request, citing a 1984 resolution recognizing the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole representative of China to Interpol.
The Republic of China (ROC) used to be an Interpol member, but after China was admitted into the organization in 1984 and planned to change the name of the ROC into “China, Taiwan,” Taipei withdrew from the organization.
“We were dismayed to learn that Taiwan has yet to be invited to participate in the upcoming 87th Interpol General Assembly in Dubai as an observer due to unnecessary political considerations. We believe this will in turn obstruct the collective interests of the international community,” Evans and Rogan said in the statement.
The two British lawmakers cited Article 2 of Interpol’s Constitution as saying that the organization aims to “ensure and promote the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities.”
That makes the establishment of a reliable and seamless global security network a must, they said.
“To this end, the cooperation of police agencies from all over the world is needed, and Taiwan’s presence is essential to the realization of this objective,” Evans and Rogan said.
Taiwan has a population of 23.5 million, has the 22nd largest economy and is the 17th-largest exporter in the world, and it has positioned itself as a hub connecting Northeast and Southeast Asia for the movement of capital, goods and people, with about 66 million passengers traveling through it last year, the statement said.
“Taiwan’s ability in sharing international security intelligence and combating cross-border crime would contribute to the global security and counterterrorism efforts,” the statement said.
Evans and Rogan urged Interpol to allow Taiwan to gain access to its criminal databases through the organization’s I-24/7 Global Police Communications System to ensure that the nation “has the ability and up-to-date knowledge to implement security checks at its borders and fight terrorism, human trafficking, and other transnational crimes.”
The lawmakers said Taiwan’s meaningful participation in Interpol would fill a gap in the global security network and create a safer world.
Meanwhile, Representative to Britain David Lin (林永樂) expressed gratitude to the group for its strong support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
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