The government is to hold a series of events on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next month while calling on the global body to stop the misinterpretation of Resolution 2758 and allow Taiwan’s meaningful participation in its system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
Taiwan is stepping up its efforts to promote the nation’s bid to join the UN leading up to the 78th session of the General Assembly on Tuesday next week and the General Debate from Sept. 19 to Sept. 26.
Due to a misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758 Taiwan has been inappropriately excluded from the UN, which should be rectified, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Taiwan is improperly excluded mainly because the UN has long succumbed to China’s pressure and has continued to misinterpret the resolution, Tien said.
The resolution only addressed China’s representation in the UN without authorizing it to represent Taiwan, he said, adding that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other and only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent its 23 million people in the UN.
The government would also urge the UN to allow Taiwanese people and media to visit the UN and cover related events, as well as include the nation in its efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, Tien said.
In addition, the UN should take measures to maintain peace, stability and security in the Taiwan Strait and the Asia-Pacific region, he said.
To make these appeals heard, Taiwan has asked its diplomatic allies to speak up for the nation during the General Debate and asked their ambassadors to the UN to send a joint letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling for the inclusion of Taiwan, he added.
The ministry has appealed for the support of former students who received scholarships to study in Taiwan in the hope of soliciting wider support from young people, Tien said.
During the General Assembly, the government is to hold a series of activities in New York on the themes of “peace and security in the Taiwan Strait,” “sustainable development,” “public health” and “technology policy” to publicize Taiwan’s achievements in these areas, he said.
Overseas civic organizations and overseas Taiwanese groups are to join the promotional efforts through various means to show Taiwan’s aspiration to join the UN, he added.
Asked whether Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) would visit New York during the General Assembly, Tien said that the ministry would announce the details at an appropriate time, without denying or confirming the trip.
Tien said that he is “cautiously optimistic” about Taiwan’s promotional efforts, as the whole world has come to understand the importance of security in the Taiwan Strait and how to curb the unreasonable provocations of authoritarian nations.
Global issues such as climate change, post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery and sustainable development require contributions from every nation, including Taiwan, he said.
Taiwan has always been a force for good and a responsible member of the international community that is capable and willing to cooperate with others to tackle these challenges, he added.
The ministry would invite all Taiwanese to work together to let the UN and the international community know that Taiwan can help, and Taiwan is helping, Tien said.
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