“Taiwan er ikke og har aldrig været en del af Folkerepublikken Kina. Det må FN lære at forstå” is the headline of a letter to the editor published on August, 2019. Politiken published this letter to the editor by Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Dr. Joseph Wu.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a blueprint for a better and more sustainable future, aiming to guide the world down a sustainable and resilient path with “no one left behind.” The principle of inclusiveness and leaving no one behind is the key of the SDGs.
However, the Republic of China (Taiwan), a full-fledged democracy, continues to be barred from participating in SDGs related meetings and activities due to political interference. The exclusion has seriously undermined the foundation of the SDGs.
Taiwan is, however, ready, and willing to share its success story and contribute to the collective effort to achieve the SDGs. It has successful in alleviating poverty and achieving zero hunger. The percentage of Taiwan' low-income households has been reduced to 1.6 percent only. Its National Health Insurance covers 99.8 percent of the population.
Infant mortality rate 4.2 per 1,000, which is similar to Denmark. These figures far surpass SDG standards.
In recent years, Taiwan has been providing development assistance to and engaging in cooperation programs with partner countries in the Pacific, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
In 2018 alone, Taiwan conducted development projects in SDG areas of interest in 39 countries, it will continue to track international trends and the needs of partner countries to ensure that all operations are aligned with the SDGs.
Considering Taiwan’s robust experience and contributions, it is absurd that Taiwan is barred from sharing experience and critical information that could be used to better coordinate international efforts.
Taiwan is not, nor has it ever been, part of the PRC. Only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent its 23 million people. Unfortunately, the UN continues to misuse and misinterpret the resolution to justify its wrongful exclusion and isolation of Taiwan. The UN should make its actions and words congruent, and take immediate action to rectify its exclusionary practices and open its doors to Taiwan.
