Representatives of 11 diplomatic allies on Thursday delivered letters to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling for Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN system.
In joint and individual letters, the 11 countries called on the UN to stop inappropriately excluding the nation after they spoke out for Taiwan at the General Debate at the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York City from Sept. 19 to Tuesday last week.
The joint letter was signed by Belize, Eswatini, Guatemala, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tuvalu; while Paraguay sent a separate letter.
Photo: Reuters
Two of Taiwan’s official allies did not send letters — the Holy See, which is an observer of the UN and rarely speaks on political issues; and Haiti, which is facing crises at home.
The letters urged the UN to rectify the misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758 and allow Taiwanese and media from the nation to visit the UN and participate in or cover related events.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly stressed that Resolution 2758 only addressed China’s representation in the UN without authorizing it to represent Taiwan.
Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other and only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent its 23 million people in the UN, the ministry has said.
The letters also called on the UN to take action to safeguard the peace, stability and security of Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region.
Taiwan should be allowed meaningful participation to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) outlined by the UN, the letters said.
Four representatives of Taiwan’s allies delivered the letters to Guterres’ office in the hope that his understanding of Taiwan’s bid can facilitate discussions in meetings.
St Vincent and the Grenadines Permanent Representative to the UN Inga Rhonda King said that “leaving no one behind” was the overarching theme of last month’s SDG Summit, a point that was underscored by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.
“We firmly support the inclusion of everyone, which must include Taiwan,” King said, adding that despite being a small country, “we continue to ensure that we stand on the side of principle.”
Guatemala Permanent Representative to the UN Carla Maria Rodriguez Mancia said that her country has been fighting for freedom, so it sides with Taiwan.
Tuvaluan Permanent Representative to the UN Tapugao Falefou said that Taiwan should not be excluded from the UN system, as it is an important economy and provides a lot of assistance to the world.
Belizean Permanent Representative to the UN Carlos Fuller said that his country would always be on Taiwan’s side.
The ministry thanked the allies for speaking out for Taiwan and urged the UN not to deprive the world of the opportunity to benefit from the nation’s contributions.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York Director James Lee (李光章) also thanked the allies for showing their firm support for Taiwan through concrete action.
Separately, parliamentarians from Victoria and South Australia states established the Australia-Taiwan Club to bolster ties between the two nations, Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) reported.
Luke Donnellan, a cochair of the group, said that its main function was “to nourish political, diplomatic and business ties between Taiwan and Australia,” ABC reported.
It was “frustrating” and “inappropriate” that Taiwan-Australia ties are “in many ways considered like a hidden relationship,” Donnellan was quoted as saying.
Australia needs strong relations with Taiwan and China, he said.
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