[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has expressed appreciation to the 15 diplomatic allies that have written to UN Secretary-General António Guterres in support of Taiwan’s participation in the UN system.
The joint and individual letters from allies echoed Taiwan’s three main goals for this year’s UN campaign. Urging the UN to include Taiwan in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to assist Taiwan in taking part in the UN system, the letters said Taiwan’s exclusion from the system represents a violation of the UN Charter’s principle of universality, as well as the call to leave no one behind contained in the 2030 Agenda.
They also pointed out the UN Secretariat’s error in citing 1971’s General Assembly Resolution 2758 to demand that Taiwanese show a travel permit issued by the mainland China authorities in order to enter UN premises, and stated that such practices discriminate against the people of Taiwan and represent an unacceptable contravention of the UN’s pursuit of equality and freedom. In fact, this resolution did not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan and its people in the UN, nor did it give mainland China the right to represent the people of Taiwan within the UN and its specialized agencies.
Given that inclusiveness and global partnerships are the only means of effectively addressing global challenges, the UN secretary-general should arrange for and assist in Taiwan’s participation in the UN system, allowing Taiwan to obtain the status and opportunities it should rightly enjoy, so that it can make meaningful contributions to human wellbeing.
