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Taiwan shifts U.N. bid strategy, targets specialized agencies

ROC Central News Agency

2009/08/17 23:58:02

By Sofia Wu

Taipei, Aug.17 (CNA) A senior Taiwanese diplomatic official argued Monday that the government has not given up its bid for representation in the United Nations despite its inaction to launch a new campaign by the U.N. deadline this year.

"The inaction marks a significant change in our strategy to take part in U.N. activities," said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"We will focus on securing seats in selected U.N. specialized organizations, " the official said, adding that the government will brief the public and international society on its ultimate goal and changing strategy later.

"The content of our new U.N. bid will be finalized and unveiled this week," he elaborated.

Since 1993, Taiwan had annually asked its diplomatic allies to come up with a proposal asking the U.N. Steering Committee to include Taiwan's membership bid on the agenda of the annual session of the U.N. General Assembly.

Although the annual bid never succeeded due to China's vocal opposition, it represented the government's determination to upgrade Taiwan's international profile.

According to U.N. regulations, Taiwan's membership bid should be filed with the U.N. Secretariat one month before the opening of the annual session of the General Assembly.

This year's General Assembly session is scheduled to open Sept.

15 in New York, but Taiwan's government did not ask any diplomatic ally to present the membership bid proposal to the U.N. Secretariat before Aug. 15 as it had in the past.

"The inaction indicates that the government had no intention to come up with such a proposal this time around," said the official.

He stressed, however, that the inaction should not be interpreted as abandoning the U.N. bid.

"We will never forgo our goal of seeking meaningful participation in U.N. activities in a pragmatic manner," the official said.

Since President Ma Ying-jeou assumed office, his administration has pursued a flexible diplomatic strategy to halt a diplomatic tug-of-war with China in luring diplomatic allies with lucrative financial aid.

"Although this strategy has been effective in helping us consolidate relations with our existing diplomatic allies, it doesn't mean we'll have a smooth ride in pursuing representation in major international organizations, " the official said.

With China's tacit agreement, Taiwan managed to attend this year's World Health Assembly -- the decision-making body of the World Health Organization -- in May as an observer under the designation of Chinese Taipei.

The official said the government will follow the similiar pragmatic strategy in seeking representation in selected U.N.

specialized agencies that major foreign countries will support and will serve Taiwan's major national interests.

Thsoe organizations may include in the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization, the official said.