Allies asked to speak for Taiwan at U.N. General Assembly: MOFA

ROC Central News Agency

2018/09/18 21:29:05

Taipei, Sept. 18 (CNA) The government has asked its diplomatic allies to speak up for Taiwan at this year's United Nations General Assembly to express the country's hope of participating in U.N.-related events, an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.

It also asked their permanent representatives to the U.N. to write a joint letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, urging him to resolve the long-standing issue of the exclusion of Taiwan's 23 million people from the U.N., Bob Chen (陳龍錦), director-general of MOFA's Department of International Organizations, said at a press conference in Taipei.

The 73rd session of the U.N. General Assembly opened that day at U.N. Headquarters in New York, with the annual general debate scheduled for Sept. 25-Oct. 1.

This year, the government has adopted various approaches to letting the country's voice be heard internationally, including attending seminars in New York to promote Taiwan's achievements in meeting the U.N. sustainable development goals (SDGs) even though it is not a U.N. member, Chen said.

According to the U.N. General Assembly, the theme of this year's general debate will be "Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies."

But when asked about which countries would be signing the joint letter, the director-general said discussions are still in progress and that the details will only be disclosed at the appropriate time.

(By Elaine Hou and Ko Lin)
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