The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is planning a center for international non-governmental organizations (NGO) to attract more groups to set up offices and make Taiwan a critical hub for their work in the region, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) told the NGO Leaders Forum in Taipei yesterday.
The forum, themed “Integrated Diplomacy in Action: NGO Experiences, Achievements and Outlook,” was the first major event held by the ministry this year, Lin said.
The event was an opportunity to review the achievements of NGOs and their work with the government, as well as a means to deepen public-private cooperation, he said.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The ministry has been promoting “values-based diplomacy” in line with President William Lai’s (賴清德) policies, he said.
“The ministry is striving to bring Taiwan closer to the world,” Lin said, adding that he has supported the objective by integrating “values-based diplomacy, economic diplomacy and alliance diplomacy” into a comprehensive “integrated diplomacy” strategy.
“Through the promotion of NGO diplomacy, Taiwan would translate values-based diplomacy — with its focus on democracy, freedom and human rights — into visible, credible and concrete cooperative initiatives,” he said.
“Under the framework of integrated diplomacy, the role of NGOs would also evolve, as they are more than participants in policy initiatives, being essential partners that codesign and coimplement initiatives and expand Taiwan’s international influence,” he said.
NGOs and governments are providing integrated support for children affected by war in Kyiv, Lin said, citing an example he learned about while attending a ceremony in Warsaw in September last year to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding.
“Likewise, Taiwan can build platforms to boost international cooperation, accumulate trust and consolidate its indispensable role as a responsible member of the global civil society,” he said.
“Over the past year, the ministry’s work with domestic and international NGOs has continued to show that Taiwan has an important role to play as an enabler of cooperation and a trusted partner in international society,” he said.
Diplomacy is about long-term commitment, sustained dialogue and partnerships that provide mutual support at critical moments, he said, adding that this is why international NGOs are deepening ties with Taiwan and establishing bases here.
“The ministry plans to launch an international NGO center in Taipei and we believe Taiwan can serve as a critical hub for their activities throughout the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
Civil society in Taiwan has abundant resources, while NGOs in the nation are vibrant and dynamic, with experience in international affairs and professionalism, so they are an indispensable force in connecting Taiwan with the world, he said.
Marco Chiesara, president of Italian humanitarian group WeWorld, told the forum that Taiwan’s public and private sectors provide essential support for children affected by the war in Ukraine.
“Partnerships like the one with Taiwan’s MOFA and the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families are so vital,” Chiesara said in his keynote speech. “They turn pledges into programs and concerns into concrete change.”
The aid allowed WeWorld to “keep child-friendly spaces open, keep heaters running ... and keep hopes alive,” he said.
“Children cannot wait. They cannot wait for a ceasefire to find walls, for a construction budget to find a classroom or for the next election to find psychosocial care. They need us now,” he said.
WeWorld’s most recent collaboration with Taiwan in Ukraine involved a project supporting foster families and children’s mental health in Kyiv, Chiesara said.
WeWorld, the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families, and the ministry previously worked in other conflict-affected countries such as Syria and Afghanistan following major earthquakes there, he added.
Additional reporting by CNA
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