Photo by TE LUN OU YANG on Unsplash
Taiwan has urged the international community, including the EU, to do more to support its long running efforts to taking part in global organisations.
It says this would allow it to more fully contribute to a whole raft of endeavours, from fighting cross border crime to climate change.
The appeal is particularly timely as it comes just ahead of two key international events designed to foster greater cooperation between nations.
The first is the annual meeting of Interpol, the global crime agency, which starts in Vienna on 28 November.
Taiwan is currently excluded from taking part in United Nations meetings due to political opposition from China which claims Taiwan is a “province” of China.
Interpol is not a member of the United Nations but Taiwan is still unable to take part in its activities.
Taiwan’s argument is that as crime knows no borders its exclusion from Interpol potential leaves dangerous gaps in global crime fighting.
The island is listed by the United States as “tier one” country in recognition of its contribution to combating crime. This is the 14th consecutive year Taiwan has enjoyed this classification and Yew-Woei Chou, of Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau, has appealed for Taiwan to be allowed to join Interpol.
Speaking from Taipei, the Taiwan capital, the commissioner said, “We are just calling for better understanding of our current plight and for Taiwan to be allowed to join Interpol.”
Being unable to do so currently means loopholes exist in tackling cross border crime, including cyber crime and human trafficking.
The same argument is made by Taiwan over its exclusion from the global effort to tackle climate change.
This will be once again be highlighted when many other countries in the developed world converge on Dubai on 30 November for the next UN Climate Change Conference.
This is when nations from around the world meet to decide the next steps deemed necessary to address global warming.
But Taiwan, excluded from the UN and its deliberations, will again be a notable absentee and this is causing rising concern for the Taiwanese authorities.
The message was hammered home by Fuh-Sheng Shien of Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment.
The Minister, also speaking from Taipei, pointed out the “irony” of the situation, given that the country is a “key” economic powerhouse.
Taiwan, whose population numbers just 23 million, is also said to be responsible for no less than one percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Its response to this has been to introduce a whole raft of measures aimed at net zero emissions by the year 2050.
The Minister, speaking to reporters, said the current ban on Taiwan is “totally unjustified”.
She said “This is a big deal for us but also for the rest of the world because it means we are unable to share our experience of tackling climate change with the rest of the world. This matters for all of us.”
An end to the nation’s exclusion from the UN has been backed recently by Amina J. Mohammed, the UN’s second highest ranking official who supports the idea that its exclusion should end and stated that “every person matters, whether it is Taiwan or others. Let us not forget that health and the environment are global concerns.”
Taiwan’s situation has been again highlighted in recent weeks by the increased military threat from China.
Taiwan insists it is an independent, sovereign state and is not subordinate to any other party.
It says it will do whatever it takes to defend itself and preserve its democratic way of life.
