ISLAND VOICES
Let Taiwan become part of the U.N. family
By Raymond Wang
When speaking of Taiwan, some people may be aware that it is the location of the tallest building in the world. Others may have heard of so-called "Taiwan Experience," visualized by its successful economic development as well as historic transformation into a vibrant democracy with respect for human rights and the rule of law. However, even fewer people would suspect that Taiwan, despite all its achievements, is the only country in the world excluded from the United Nations.
Advertiser library photo • April 4, 2004
Did the 23 million people in Taiwan commit some heinous crime? Did their government violate some fundamental notion of human decency? The answer is, categorically, no. And yet, somehow, some way, Taiwan has been left outside the gates of the United Nations for 33 long years.
Taipei 101, the world's tallest building, emphasizes the irony at prosperous Taiwan's exclusion from United Nations membership.
As a geopolitical reality and sovereign nation, the Republic of China is among the freest and most peaceful countries in the Asia region. It is also a vibrant society where the rule of law, democratic values, and high standards of human rights prevail and flourish at all levels.
Over the years, Taiwan has shown its maturity in conducting international relations, and its outstanding economic and social performances are widely recognized and acknowledged. Most of the nations of the world have established substantive relations with Taiwan.
The vitality of Taiwan's economy gained it full membership in the World Trade Organization in 2002, concurrently with the People's Republic of China. As a matter of fact, Taiwan is today the world's 17th largest economy, it has the world's 15th largest trade volume, and it ranks third in terms of foreign exchange reserves. This remarkable economic development has already had a positive impact on the prosperity and vitality of the region and the world at large. It is obvious that many countries around the world, especially among the least developed countries, could benefit from Taiwan's successful development and experiences in social justice.
Taiwan's political, economic and social achievements could play a catalyst role and bring a new impetus to the action of the United Nations in several fields, including promotion of the rule of law and democratization, human rights, humanitarian assistance; sustainable development, environmental protection, gender empowerment, health, civil society participation, etc. And Taiwan never hesitated to make its contribution.
In effect, while the government in Taiwan has repeatedly expressed its readiness and willingness to contribute its economic, human and financial resources to programs and projects under the aegis of the United Nations, this demonstration of good will faced negative reactions from U.N. agencies, funds and programs that often lack the sufficient resources to carry out their activities. Even so, the government in Taiwan reiterates its readiness to provide its support to countries in need through the appropriate U.N. channels. It is ready to allocate resources to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Taiwan is also concerned with the plight of civilian populations in conflict-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan. It is willing to provide humanitarian assistance to the vulnerable groups including medical teams and supplies, food, shelter and other related assistance. In spite of this good will, the United Nations channels are still reluctant to accept Taiwan's offers for assistance and this to the detriment of the populations in need.
Taiwan possesses a full-fledged democracy, vigorous economy, and a witnessed dedication to world humanitarian assistance. As a responsible and equal member of the global village, Taiwan bears a bright flame of love, passion and a will to give toward the world. We can scarcely imagine that a prestigious international organization like the United Nations, in whose charter is embodied the spirit of universality, could exclude an excellent country like Taiwan for so long. We all know the reasonable way to go, and we know there is no better time than now to let Taiwan become part of the U.N. family.
Raymond Wang is consul general at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu.
