The government yesterday said it is working for Taiwan to be invited to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) assembly in Canada this month, and an action team would travel there to promote the nation’s participation, regardless of whether it is invited.
A UN specialized agency, the ICAO is holding its 42nd triennial assembly in Montreal from Sept. 23 to Oct. 3.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) held a news conference in Taipei yesterday about Taiwan’s bid to participate in the event.
Photo: Fang Wei-li, Taipei Times
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ger Baushuan (葛葆萱) said MOFA is working with the MOTC’s Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) to seek Taiwan’s invitation as a “guest” to the ICAO assembly.
The nation attended the assembly in 2013 as a guest.
“Regardless of being invited or not, the government will send an ICAO action team to Montreal,” Ger said.
The team would present Taiwan’s appeals to the delegations from other counties and seek their support, as well as promote locally the importance of the nation’s participation in the assembly, he added.
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Kuo-hsien (林國顯) said that “Safe Skies, Sustainable Future” is the theme of the ICAO’s strategic plan from 2026 to 2050.
The plan aims to engage stakeholders in building a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive global civil aviation system, Lin said.
CAA Director-General Ho Shu-ping (何淑萍) wrote a letter to ICAO Council president Salvatore Sciacchitano saying that Taiwan’s inclusion in the organization aligns with its goal of a “seamless sky,” and can demonstrate its leading position in global civil aviation development and management, Lin said.
Moreover, the CAA operates the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) and is an indispensable part of the global network of more than 300 flight information regions the ICAO oversees, he said.
The Taipei FIR is at an important transport intersection between northeast Asia and southeast Asia, providing traffic control services for more than 1.85 million flights in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic and for about 1.65 million flights last year, he said, adding that it plays a key role in maintaining aviation safety in the region.
“From a geopolitical perspective, Taiwan has close air transport relations with countries in the region, and inviting the nation to participate in the ICAO would make regional cooperation more complete,” he said.
“Taiwan has always fulfilled its responsibilities of maintaining flight safety,” Lin said.
“Flight safety is without borders,” he said.
The CAA has been committed to ensuring the highest levels of flight safety and services in the Taipei FIR, and complies with the ICAO’s standards, he added.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) has written opinion pieces to be sent to foreign media firms urging the international community to support Taiwan’s inclusion in the ICAO, Lin said.
CAA Deputy Director-General Lin Jiunn-liang (林俊良) is to lead the action team to Montreal with the assistance from MOFA, Lin said, adding that some CAA officials visited Japan and other friendly countries last year to explain Taiwan’s stance on the issue.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Montreal was established in 2023 as the ICAO’s headquarters is there and many other countries have missions in the city, Ger said.
The office in Montreal provides Taiwanese officials with more opportunities to communicate with representatives from like-minded countries and seek their support, he said.
Taiwan would also seek international support during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, which opened in New York yesterday, he said.
The UN assembly is to take place from Sept. 23 to 27.
The government would again ask the nation’s diplomatic allies and other partners to voice support for its inclusion in the UN system through speeches at the assembly or letters to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Ger said.
Taiwan would also step up efforts to counter Beijing’s “misuse” of UN Resolution 2758, which recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the only representative of China at the UN in 1971, but did not mention Taiwan, he said.
The resolution does not authorize the PRC to represent Taiwan in the UN system, nor does it state that Taiwan is part of China, Ger said.
“Only the government elected by Taiwanese can represent Taiwan,” he added.
Resolution 2758 led to the PRC entering the UN and Taiwan, officially named the Republic of China, leaving the multilateral body.
Since then, Taiwan has been excluded from the UN and its affiliated agencies.
Additional reporting by CNA
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