Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr on Tuesday called for Taiwan’s participation at the UN on the first day of the UN General Assembly’s 76th session in New York City.
In his 13-minute General Debate address, Whipps thanked Palau’s international allies for coming to its aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular Taiwan, the US, Japan and Australia.
Their assistance — including donations of COVID-19 vaccines, personal protective gear and testing capacity — allowed Palau to remain “COVID-free and COVID-safe,” Whipps said.
Photo taken from the official UN Web site
More than 80 percent of Palau’s population has been fully vaccinated, and there have been no deaths or hospitalizations resulting from COVID-19, for which the people of Palau are forever grateful, he said.
The Palauan leader highlighted Taiwan’s leadership in the global response against the pandemic and its demonstration of “consistent and effective management of the pandemic within their borders,” efforts that extend to Palau.
“Taiwan’s international response facilitated cooperation and implementation of an effective sterile travel corridor between Taiwan and Palau,” the president said.
The sterile corridor, or “travel bubble,” has allowed the two nations to resume medical and educational cooperation, economic engagement and other benefits of international travel, he said.
“We encourage the UN system to accept Taiwan as a valuable contributor to our collective efforts and strongly advocate for Taiwan’s participation in the UN system,” he said.
With the world facing major challenges, Whipps used the analogy of a Palauan fish, the surgeonfish, to call for global unity.
“The surgeonfish represents a unique characteristic. They fish to graze and roam on the reef alone, eating algae, but once danger lurks, they all swim quickly from wherever they are along the reef and come together in a large school, resembling an intimidating ocean animal to provide safety and security for all,” he said.
He called on the international community to “act like the surgeonfish and come together, including Taiwan.”
“Taiwan’s 23.5 million people must also be given a voice as our UN Charter states,” he said.
“We the peoples of all nations working together can overcome the challenges of our time, from COVID to climate, and act with integrity and resolve to leave a better world for our children,” he said.
He was the first leader of Taiwan’s 15 diplomatic allies to speak at the General Debate, which finishes on Monday next week.
The presidents of Guatemala, the Marshall Islands and Honduras — three more of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — were to speak at the General Debate yesterday.
Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Claude Joseph wrote of Haiti’s support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN system on Twitter.
“Faced with the challenges facing our world, in economic, security and health terms, we need a pooling of all forces. The Republic of Haiti reiterates its support for Taiwan’s reintegration into the UN,” Joseph wrote.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) wrote on Twitter: “Thank you @claudejoseph03 for choosing to #StandWithTaiwan. The government & people of #Taiwan are grateful for #Haiti’s staunch support of the country’s bid to participate in the @UN system via forums like #UNGA.”
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique