FM Wu: An Inclusive UN Needs to Include Taiwan

Taipei, MINA – The 74th meeting of the United Nations (UN) will be held in New York, USA this September. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister (Foreign Minister) Jaushieh Joseph Wu called for the UN to open the door for Taiwan to participate in the UN, along with global partners participating in helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS).

“The SDGs formulate plans for a better and more sustainable future, aiming to guide the world along a sustainable and resilient road with the principle of not putting aside,” Foreign Minister Wu said as press statement received by MINA, Tuesday (3/9).

“In 2018, our waste recycling rate will reach 55.69%, a reading rate of 98.8% and an infant mortality rate of 4.2 per 1,000. These figures far exceed the SDGs standard,” he explained.

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Taiwan Foreign Minister Wu also said, the legal basis often used to disregard Taiwan from the United Nations was Resolution 2758 (XXVI) adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971. The resolution did not resolve the issue of Taiwan’s right to represent the United Nations, nor did it state that Taiwan was part of People’s Republic of China (PRC).

In fact, Taiwan is not part of the PRC. Only the democratically elected government of Taiwan can represent 23 million inhabitants. Unfortunately, the UN continues to misuse and misinterpret this resolution to override and isolate Taiwan.

Wu said, an inclusive UN should not leave anyone behind. However, Republic of China (Taiwan) passport holders were refused to visit the United Nations or attend UN meetings.

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“Taiwan media reporters also cannot get a UN press card to participate in this meeting. This act is unjust and discriminatory, it also contradicts the universal principles on which the UN was founded. The United Nations should immediately take action to improve this exception to Taiwan,” he said.

Wu stressed, the bad situation in the past and the future would not make Taiwan surrender. Taiwan has anticipated, and is willing and able to contribute to the international community.

He also said that if the United Nations continued to surrender to Chinese coercion, rejecting Taiwan’s participation, that would only further encourage Beijing to act arbitrarily. It will also undermine the value of efforts to meet the objectives of international cooperation in solving international economic, social, cultural and human welfare problems, and promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all people as stated in Article 1 of the UN Charter.

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“If the United Nations is serious about developing inclusiveness and making development sustainable for everyone, then it should open the door for Taiwan,” he added.

Foreign Minister Wu said, Taiwan was able and willing to share its success stories and contribute further to the collective efforts to achieve the UN SDGs.

He explained, Taiwan had made a big step in reducing poverty and achieving zero levels of hunger. The percentage of low-income households in Taiwan has decreased to 1.6%; In 1993, the National Health Insurance program began to cover 99.8% of the population. (T/Ais/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)