Taiwanese-American organizations in California last week issued joint statements calling for Taiwan’s participation in the UN ahead of its General Assembly, which begins tomorrow, saying that the nation is ready to make concrete contributions to international affairs.
Representatives from nearly 50 organizations on Thursday gathered at the Culture Center of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Los Angeles to issue a statement, followed the day after by a similar statement issued by six organizations in San Francisco’s South Bay.
Taiwan’s outstanding epidemic preparedness from last year, paired with its ability to meet the needs of the global supply chain, demonstrates that “Taiwan can help and is ready to help,” the Southern Californian groups said.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwanese American Center of Northern California via CNA
“Now is the time for the UN to accept Taiwan and for Taiwan to make a contribution,” they added.
Taiwan is a force for good in the world, TECO in Los Angeles Director-General Louis Huang (黃敏境) said.
Its success in combating the COVID-19 pandemic at home, while also providing medical supplies and masks to the rest of the world especially shows the nation’s ability to make significant contributions on the international stage, he said, adding that Taiwan’s exclusion from the UN is a loss for the world.
Just up the coast on Friday last week, representatives from six San Francisco Bay Area organizations also arranged a joint news conference to call for Taiwan’s participation in the UN.
“Not only does Taiwan need the UN, but the UN needs Taiwan, too,” the groups said, adding that the nation’s excellence in technology, healthcare and soft power, as well as its global trade status, can help the global organization.
More countries and individuals are supporting Taiwan’s participation in the UN, said Yan Shu-jung (閻樹榮), director of TECO in San Francisco’s Culture Center.
However, the nation would not be discouraged if it cannot participate, and would continue to strive for international support through the help of its global allies and overseas communities, Yan added.
Representatives from eight Taiwanese expat community organizations in Northern California on Saturday issued a similar call at a news conference in San Jose.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said that, starting tomorrow, TECO in New York plans to launch a series of publicity campaigns to share Taiwan’s contributions to post-pandemic recovery and its desire to participate in the UN.
On the opening day of the assembly, the office plans to launch its campaign through the Web site GiveTaiwanAVoice.com.
Themed around sky lanterns, the campaign aims to represent how “hope soars when we all listen” in response to this year’s General Assembly theme of “building resilience through hope.”
The public is invited to release their own digital “sky lanterns” on social media with messages of support for Taiwan with the hashtag #HearTaiwan.
The 76th UN General Assembly in New York is to focus on COVID-19 recovery, sustainable reconstruction, responding to global needs, respecting human rights and revitalizing the UN.
The General Debate is to take place from Tuesday next week to Sept. 27.
Additional reporting by Wu Su-wei
LIABILITIES MULLED: New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi said Taipei would find out if the firm was legally registered, the guide was licensed and the weather was assessed The assets of Tian Da Local Nature Co are to be frozen after at least four people died after falling into the Beishi River (北勢溪) on an outing the company had organized on Saturday, the Taipei City Government said yesterday. Six people — two adults and four children — were washed away by a flash flood on the river in New Taipei City’s Hubaotan (虎豹潭) area. They were participating in a Nature Joy Camp outdoor activity with a group of 16 adults and 15 children led by a guide surnamed Su (蘇). As of 4:30pm yesterday, four of the missing had been
Taiwanese worked more hours than people in all but three other countries in the world last year, Ministry of Labor data showed. Singapore placed first in average hours worked among the 40 economies surveyed, with an average of 2,288 hours per worker last year, the data showed. The city-state was followed by Colombia with 2,172 hours — based on 2019 data — and Mexico with 2,124 hours, it showed. Taiwan came in fourth, with 2,021 hours, it showed. South Korean workers clocked the third-most hours in Asia, with 1,908 hours, followed by Japan with 1,598 hours, it showed. However, compared with 2019, the survey found
The US 7th Fleet yesterday confirmed that a US Navy ship transited the Taiwan Strait on Thursday and Friday. “The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Dewey [DDG 105] conducted a Taiwan Strait transit in cooperation with Royal Canadian Navy [RCN] Halifax-class frigate, HMCS Winnipeg, October 14-15, 2021,” the US 7th Fleet said in a statement. “Dewey’s and Winnipeg’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Cooperation like this represents the centerpiece of our approach to a secure and prosperous region,” it added. The transit marked the
‘COUNTERPRODUCTIVE’: The German, French and Singaporean missions said that Taiwan’s COVID-19 restrictions are hindering local projects and business operations Several foreign missions in Taiwan have urged the government to ease its strict COVID-19 border controls, which they say are hurting in-person exchanges and business operations. The missions made the appeal in response to media inquiries on how the border controls have affected their respective countries’ exchanges with Taiwan, amid growing concerns voiced privately by Taiwan-based foreign offices and businesses regarding the restrictions. Taiwan has maintained strict entry requirements since March last year, generally prohibiting most arrivals except for citizens and foreign residents, while it has required those who enter the country to undergo a stringent 14-day quarantine. Although the rules have been
RSS