A three-day international workshop on humanitarian assistance and disaster response hosted by the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) started in Taipei yesterday to promote cross-border partnerships, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said.
Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chief Representative Kazuyuki Katayama and National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) gave the opening addresses at the workshop, titled “Global Public-Private Partnerships in HA/DR [humanitarian assistance/disaster response]: Disaster Governance and Sustainable Operation,” said the AIT, one of the organizers of the event.
More than 150 people — including 47 international participants from 34 countries and areas, some of whom are senior government officials, humanitarian aid professionals and private-sector leaders — attended the opening day of the workshop, which ends tomorrow, the AIT said in a statement.
Photo courtesy of the NSTC
Through six thematic sessions and two panel discussions, the program is to explore the role of non-governmental organizations, public-private collaboration in building disaster resilience, the application of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and early warning systems, and practices in international coordination, it said.
After day two, participants are to examine Taiwan’s disaster preparedness and coordination, with visits to the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation for a demonstration of innovative humanitarian technologies, the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction and the Taipei Central Emergency Operation Center, it said.
The GCTF was launched in 2015 by Taiwan and the US as a platform to enable Taiwan to share its expertise on and contribute to global issues alongside international partners, as Taipei has been sidelined at major international organizations due to Chinese pressure.
Japan, Australia and Canada joined the framework as full partners in 2019, 2021 and last year respectively.
Since its launch, the GCTF has held 88 international workshops on topics such as public health, law enforcement cooperation, women’s empowerment, energy efficiency, e-commerce, cybersecurity, HA/DR and media literacy.
More than 10,000 government officials, experts and civil society representatives from 133 countries have participated in the events, which were held locally and in 17 countries worldwide, the AIT said.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS