Thirteen of the nation’s diplomatic allies have written to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to push for Taiwan’s participation in the organization ahead of the 74th UN General Assembly, which began on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
The assembly commenced at UN headquarters in New York City with Guterres urging member states to share their experiences on issues such as education, healthcare, poverty reduction and climate change.
“We have to convince people that the United Nations is relevant to all, and that multilateralism offers real solutions to global challenges,” Guterres was quoted as saying on the UN’s Web site.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York
The Republic of China withdrew from the UN in 1971. The government has been campaigning to rejoin the organization every year since 1993.
The joint letter — signed by the Vatican, Belize, Eswatini, Haiti, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and St Kitts and Nevis — called on the UN to accept Taiwan’s bid for membership, the ministry said.
Based on Guterres’ call for an “inclusion imperative,” the UN should admit Taiwan as a member, as it is a reliable and trustworthy international partner with outstanding achievements, and is willing to share its experiences with others, the letter said.
The letter also highlighted Taiwan’s democratic values, freedom and human rights, which are essentially the UN’s mission, while many nations have expressed regret over Taiwan’s exclusion based on the outdated UN Resolution 2758.
Two other allies, Honduras and Guatemala, wrote separate letters to Guterres to express their support for Taiwan’s participation, the ministry said.
The ministry’s campaign for UN entry this year is focused on Taiwan’s important role in promoting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
It also revolves around three appeals: The UN should take immediate action to solve the unfair exclusion of 23 million Taiwanese from its system; it should correct its improper policy of banning Taiwanese and Taiwanese journalists from visiting its premises; and it should ensure that Taiwan has the right to equal and dignified participation at events that are about the realization of the development goals, the ministry said.
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