• Home
  • Metro Asian News
  • Misc Asia
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Art
  • Health
  • Eat Out
  • PODCAST
    • Apa Kabar Indonesia
    • Atlanta Burmese Voice
    • SungKhom Lao
    • Tam Su Voi
    • Usapang Pinoy
    • GAT Insight
    • Georgia Korean Podcast
ABOUT
Advertise in GAT
Contact us
Friday, January 27, 2023
Georgia Asian Times
International Insurance of Georgia
  • Home
  • Metro Asian News
  • Misc Asia
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Art
  • Health
  • Eat Out
  • PODCAST
    • Apa Kabar Indonesia
    • Atlanta Burmese Voice
    • SungKhom Lao
    • Tam Su Voi
    • Usapang Pinoy
    • GAT Insight
    • Georgia Korean Podcast
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Metro Asian News
  • Misc Asia
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Art
  • Health
  • Eat Out
  • PODCAST
    • Apa Kabar Indonesia
    • Atlanta Burmese Voice
    • SungKhom Lao
    • Tam Su Voi
    • Usapang Pinoy
    • GAT Insight
    • Georgia Korean Podcast
No Result
View All Result
Georgia Asian Times
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Metro Asian News
  • Misc Asia
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Art
  • Health
  • Eat Out
  • PODCAST
Home Guest Column

Guest Editorial: Recover Better Together? Taiwan Can Help

Georgia Asian Times by Georgia Asian Times
August 20, 2020
in Guest Column, Misc Asia
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Jaushieh Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)

In 2020, the world has been hit by an unprecedented public health crisis, with the effects of COVID-19 being felt across every aspect of people’s lives. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations—the mission statement that stands at the very heart of the inclusive multilateralism the world needs so much at the present moment. Now more than ever, the global community must make a concerted effort to forge the better and more sustainable future called for by the UN and its Member States. Taiwan is ready, willing and able to be a part of these efforts.

With less than 500 confirmed cases and seven deaths, Taiwan has defied predictions and successfully contained COVID-19. We managed this without lockdowns; schools were only closed for two weeks in February. Baseball games also restarted in April. Initially, cardboard cutouts stood in for the crowds, but by mid-July games were back in full swing, attended by as many as 10,000 spectators.

This has all come in no small part due to Taiwan’s quick response measures, including the establishment of a Central Epidemic Command Center, the implementation of stringent border controls and quarantine procedures, and transparent information-sharing. We also took swift action to ensure an adequate stock of medical supplies for our world-class health care system. And after making sure we had enough supplies to look after our own people, we started providing medical equipment and supplies to other countries in serious need. By the end of June, Taiwan had donated 51 million surgical masks, 1.16 million N95 masks, 600,000 isolation gowns, 35,000 forehead thermometers, and other medical materials to more than 80 countries, including the United States, Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, and European nations. We have also joined forces with like-minded democracies to explore the development of rapid test kits, medicines, and vaccines. Working together for the greater good is how the world will defeat COVID-19.

AD: High Museum of Atlanta

In the Declaration on the Commemoration of the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the United Nations, governments and heads of state acknowledge that only by working together in solidarity can we end the pandemic and effectively tackle its consequences. They thus pledge to make the UN more inclusive and to leave no one behind as the world looks to recover from the pandemic. Similarly, in remarks at the High-level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council on “Multilateralism after COVID-19: what kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary?” in July, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that networked, inclusive, and effective multilateralism would aid global efforts to promote recovery and the continued implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We cannot agree more. However, this vision seems lacking when Taiwan—one of the world’s model democracies and a success story in containing the current pandemic—continues to be barred from taking part in and exchanging experiences and information with the UN system.

Even as the pandemic has made the international community acutely aware of Taiwan’s unjust and discriminatory exclusion from the World Health Organization and the UN system, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) continues to press the UN to use an erroneous interpretation of the 1971 UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI) as the legal basis for blocking Taiwan. The fact is that this resolution does not address the issue of Taiwan’s representation in the UN, nor does it state that Taiwan is part of the PRC. In fact, Taiwan is not, nor has it ever been, a part of the PRC. Our President and legislature are directly elected by the people of Taiwan. Moreover, border controls instituted during the pandemic offer further evidence to counter the PRC’s false claims. The UN must recognize that only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent its 23.5 million people; the PRC has no right to speak on Taiwan’s behalf.

Not having Taiwan’s input in the UN is a loss to the global community and will hamper Member States’ efforts to regain normalcy and implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in full and on time. By drawing on its outstanding work on the SDGs, Taiwan can help countries better recover from the disruption caused by the pandemic. Our economy has proven resilient: the Asian Development Bank forecast that Taiwan’s economic performance in 2020 would be the best among the Four Asian Tigers—the only one to show positive growth. Moreover, many of our SDG indicators—including gender equality, economic growth, clean water and sanitation, reduced inequality, and good health and wellbeing—have reached levels comparable to OECD countries. Our ongoing efforts to implement the SDGs coupled with our proven pandemic response put Taiwan in a much better position than most to help the global community in tackling the ongoing challenges facing humanity.

In fact, Taiwan has long been assisting its partner countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Pacific with their development goals in such areas as clean energy, waste management, and disaster prevention. So, we are already able to help—yet we could do that much more if given the chance to participate in UN activities, meetings, and mechanisms.

Unfortunately, the 23.5 million people of Taiwan are denied any access to UN premises. Taiwanese journalists and media outlets are also denied accreditation to cover UN meetings. This discriminatory policy stems from the wrongful claims of and pressure from an authoritarian state and contravenes the principle of universality and equality upon which the UN was founded.

“We the peoples of the United Nations determined . . . to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights . . . [and] the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small”—thus begins the UN Charter. The ideal of upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms for all laid out in this text must not remain empty words. As it looks ahead to the next 75 years, it is never too late for the UN to welcome Taiwan’s participation.

Previous Post

Kamala Harris accepts historic vice presidential nod

Next Post

U.S., China differ over plans for Phase 1 trade deal talks

Georgia Asian Times

Georgia Asian Times

Related Posts

New Zealand’s Ardern, an icon to many, to step down
Misc Asia

New Zealand’s Ardern, an icon to many, to step down

January 19, 2023
Nobel winner Maria Ressa, news outlet cleared of tax evasion
Misc Asia

Nobel winner Maria Ressa, news outlet cleared of tax evasion

January 18, 2023
China records 1st population fall in decades as births drop
Misc Asia

China records 1st population fall in decades as births drop

January 17, 2023
Vietnamese president resigns, criticized for major scandals
Misc Asia

Vietnamese president resigns, criticized for major scandals

January 17, 2023
Cambodian experts begin training Ukrainian deminers
Misc Asia

Cambodian experts begin training Ukrainian deminers

January 16, 2023
Flight data, voice recorders retrieved from Nepal crash site
Misc Asia

Flight data, voice recorders retrieved from Nepal crash site

January 16, 2023
Next Post

U.S., China differ over plans for Phase 1 trade deal talks

Signup Free E-Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Jan 28
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Decatur Lunar New Year Festival

Jan 28
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Chinese New Year Celebration-Chamblee

Feb 18
6:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Spring Festival 2023

View Calendar
Logo

 

CONTACT US

Follow Us

MOST INFLUENTIAL

GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans Gala celebrates Asian voice

GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans Gala celebrates Asian voice

July 18, 2022

Video highlights of GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia

July 17, 2022

2022 GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia-Awards Gala

July 17, 2022

LINKS OF INTEREST

ATL Asian Film Festival

GAT on Facebook

Lunar New Year of Rabbit - GAT Special Section
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise in GAT
  • ABOUT

© 2023 Georgia Asian Times - Empowered by 8SOL. Managed by Arckopolis.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Metro Asian News
  • Misc Asia
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Art
  • Health
  • Eat Out
  • PODCAST
    • Apa Kabar Indonesia
    • Atlanta Burmese Voice
    • SungKhom Lao
    • Tam Su Voi
    • Usapang Pinoy
    • GAT Insight
    • Georgia Korean Podcast

© 2023 Georgia Asian Times - Empowered by 8SOL. Managed by Arckopolis.

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Google
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest
articles straight to your inbox!

    Are you sure want to unlock this post?
    Unlock left : 0
    Are you sure want to cancel subscription?