Diplomatic concerns pertaining to sustainable development will soon be added to the portfolio of the Cabinet's National Council for Sustainable Develop-ment (永續發展委員會). Minister without Portfolio Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮) said yesterday that this will not only improve Taiwan's image in the international community but will also ensure that the nation has a sustainable future.
At a conference held yesterday by the council to create action plans for sustainable development, Yeh said that working closely with other countries would be one of many important strategies to promote sustainable development.
Yeh told the Taipei Times that Premier Yu Shyi-kun clearly pointed out on Wednesday the necessity of letting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) work with the council. Yu came to this conclusion after reviewing Taiwan's recent participation in the UN's World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa.
"Our efforts in Johannesburg highlighted the necessity of working with other countries to promote sustainable development as being Taiwan's best new diplomatic direction," Yeh told the Taipei Times.
Yeh said that administrative procedures to incorporate the ministry into the council would not take long.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (
The council yesterday also specified 62 important tasks for different sectors relevant to creating sustainable development, ranging from the sectors of education, health, biodiversity, state-owned land management, international environmental affairs, energy creation and industry.
Lee Ling-ling (
Yeh stressed that the implementation of all 62 tasks relied on the establishment of good partnership between central government and local action groups, between central government and local governments, and between local governments and action groups.
Vice Minister of Education Fan Sun-lu (
Environmental Protection Administrator Hau Lung-bin (
"Through the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment, Taiwan still has a lot to do," Hau said.
Speaking from a perspective of global environmental protection, Hau said that Taiwan should not neglect the emerging business opportunities in the environmental protection industry when considering sustainable development.
He also stressed the necessity of joining international organizations to monitor the long-range movement of airborne pollutants.
Environmental problems relating to acid rain united countries in eastern Asia such as China, Japan and South Korea. These countries have already established monitoring networks.
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