By Jerry Chuang
The 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, a high-level meeting wherein all Member States are equally represented to discuss a wide range of international issues opened on September 17, 2019 at UN Headquarters. Regrettably, Taiwan was once again excluded from the UN General Assembly due to political interference.
President Tsai Ing-wen of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has reiterated that Taiwan’s 23 million people have the right to participate in the UN system. She also emphasized that Taiwan is committed to joining hands with global partners to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to forge the world we want, and the future we need.
After many years of effort, Taiwan has made great strides in alleviating poverty and achieving zero hunger. Our percentage of low-income households has been reduced to 1.6 percent. Launched in 1993, the National Health Insurance program now covers 99.8 percent of the population. In 2018, our waste recycling rate reached 55.69 percent, our literacy rate 98.8 percent, and our infant mortality rate 4.2 per 1,000. These figures far surpass SDG standards. The government of Taiwan has further identified six major areas of interest with respect to the SDGs: smart water management, sustainable energy transformation, clean air, sustainable materials management and the circular economy, ecological conservation and green networks, and international partnerships. These areas complement the main theme of the UN High-Level Political Forum 2018, the SDGs, and the 5Ps—people, planet, peace, prosperity, and partnership—referred to in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
International organizations are created to meet the common objectives of its members, not to serve the interests of just one member. Article 100 of the UN Charter clearly states that “In the performance of their duties the Secretary-General and the staff shall not seek or receive instructions from any government or from any other authority external to the Organization.” Regrettably, the UN sits idly by whenever China seeks to impose its so-called “one China principle” on the UN system. The most recent example involves dozens of NGOs being denied Consultative Status by the UN Economic and Social Council simply because a reference to Taiwan in their documents contradicts China’s demands.
A truly inclusive UN would not leave anyone behind. Today, however, Taiwan passport holders are blocked from entering UN premises for public visits and meetings. Taiwanese journalists and media outlets are also denied accreditation to cover UN meetings. These practices are unjust and discriminatory, and contravene the principle of universality upon which the UN was founded. The UN should make its actions and words congruent, and take immediate action to rectify its exclusionary practices.
The Philippines is Taiwan’s closest neighboring country to the south. There are more than 150,000 Filipinos working in Taiwan, with over nine thousand inter-marriages between the two countries. The Taiwan government has also granted the visa-free program to the Philippines since 1 November, 2017, and has resulted in the tremendous increase of Filipino people visiting Taiwan which is expected to exceed half a million in 2019. Taiwan is also highly recognized by Filipinos as a true friend who always extend a helping hand in time. Given the strong bilateral relations between our two countries, and the sharing of common values such as democracy and freedom, Taiwan’s isolation from UN is also the concern of our Filipino brothers and sisters.
I hereby call on the Philippine government, its Congress, and its people to support Taiwan’s inclusion in the United Nations and related technical meetings, mechanisms, and activities. Taiwan should be awarded the same rights as other countries to be able to exercise its full commitment to help the world to achieve the SDG goals.
Mr. Chuang is the director of the Press Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines.