More of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies on Saturday called for the nation’s inclusion in the UN system during the global body’s COP28 climate conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
On the second day of the high-level segment of COP28, prime ministers from allies Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Tuvalu and Eswatini voiced their support for Taiwan’s participation in the UN’s annual climate conference.
“The time is now for world leaders to transform to a safer place for our children,” Saint Lucian Prime Minister Philip Pierre said in his address.
Photo: AFP
“And in this battle Taiwan must not be left behind,” he added.
Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew said that Taiwan is a “reliable global partner in the climate crisis.”
“Saint Kitts and Nevis firmly believes that Taiwan, as an island nation, should be allowed to play [a] meaningful role in the existential policy drives of the United Nations,” he said.
Tuvaluan Prime Minister Kausea Natano said in his speech that all the challenges the world faces require all countries to work together to address.
“I therefore urge the members of [the] UN to recognize the contribution of the Republic of China to assist with climate change challenges, health issues and so forth,” he said.
Eswatini Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini, who was sworn into office last month, said that all countries should be party to the agreements and commitments on climate action.
“If countries like Taiwan have voluntarily committed for the sake of the planet and people without being a party to the negotiations, then the rest of us can,” he said, adding that Eswatini calls for Taiwan’s formal inclusion in future UN climate conferences.
The 28th UN Climate Change Conference, which started on Thursday, ends on Tuesday next week.
The conference has been held annually since the first UN climate agreement was reached in 1992. It is intended to be a platform for governments to discuss and agree on policies to limit global temperature rises and adapt to climate change.
After the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) were expelled from the UN in 1971, Taiwan left the global body and has since been excluded from its special agencies, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Since 1995, Taiwanese officials have participated in the conference through the government-funded Industrial Technology Research Institute, acting as a non-governmental organization.
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