The US and 10 of Taiwan's diplomatic allies spoke in favor of Taiwan’s efforts to join the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), at its recent triennial assembly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today.
The 10 allies, along with the US, advocated for Taiwan's inclusion in the ICAO, a specialized agency of the UN that develops policies and standards for international civil aviation to ensure safe and efficient air transportation, the ministry said.
It is "essential that all international aviation stakeholders, particularly Taiwan, are meaningfully included in ICAO's technical activities. There is no room for politics on this question," US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in his address at the assembly on Sept. 23, the ministry said.
Photo: Reuters
"This is about safety and security of the global system that we all enjoy, and of which Taiwan is an active part," Duffy was quoted as saying on the opening day of the ICAO’s 42nd assembly at its headquarters in Montreal, Canada.
High-level officials from 10 of Taiwan's diplomatic allies — Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Eswatini, Guatemala, Saint Lucia, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize and Paraguay — also called for Taiwan's inclusion in the ICAO, the ministry said in a statement.
Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Europe, the Holy See, is not an ICAO member, while its other ally Haiti did not touch on the issue at the triennial assembly.
The Caribbean country has been embroiled in widespread political, economic and security crises since its former president Jovenel Moïse was assassinated at his home in July 2021.
Haitian representatives at UN-related agencies such as the ICAO have been focused more on the unrest in their country during such assemblies, a diplomatic source said on condition of anonymity.
In its statement, the ministry said that in addition to the advocacy at the ICAO assembly, there have also been efforts on other fronts to support Taiwan's participation in the specialized UN agency, which currently has 193 member states.
Motions have been adopted in the US Senate, House of Representatives and 30 state-level lawmaking bodies, as well as in the parliaments of the UK, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Sweden, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, Israel, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Guatemala, Saint Christopher and Nevis, and Paraguay, it said.
The ministry thanked Taiwan's diplomatic allies and like-minded countries for their support and reiterated its call for Taiwan's inclusion in the ICAO's triennial assembly and related meetings, mechanisms and activities.
Taiwan last attended the ICAO assembly in 2013 as a guest of the council president, at a time when China's efforts to isolate Taiwan were less aggressive, as cross-strait relations were warmer under the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration.
Taiwan is not a UN member and therefore not part of the ICAO, which held its 42nd assembly from Sept. 23 to Oct. 3.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
ISOLATION: The outposts would serve as support and backup bases, forcing US forces to either face China head-on or reroute, increasing travel time and operational costs China’s outposts in the South China Sea could be used to delay and constrain foreign forces during a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, giving Beijing a critical window to carry out amphibious landing and blockade operations, a report said. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) forward operating bases on islands and reclaimed features in the South China Sea could delay foreign forces long enough for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to secure a key 48-to-72-hour window in the Taiwan Strait, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council found. The report, conducted by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, examined
RSS