Taipei, Sept. 23 (CNA) The United States and Australia expressed support for Taiwan's participation in international affairs, lauding its contributions to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one day ahead of the general debate of the annual U.N. General Assembly.
The 74th session of the U.N. General Assembly opened Sept. 17 in New York and the general debate will take place Sept. 24-30, with the theme of "galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion."
In a Facebook post on Monday, the Australian Office in Taipei said it acknowledges Taiwan's continuing progress on the SDGs and universal health coverage, which are both important topics of this year's U.N. gathering.
"With its international reputation for high quality medical care, Taiwan can help to advance health security in our region and globally," the Australian Office in Taipei said.
Meanwhile, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) told CNA that Washington supports Taipei's meaningful participation in international organizations.
"The United States fully supports Taiwan's membership in international organizations where statehood is not a requirement and encourages Taiwan's meaningful participation, as appropriate, in organizations where its membership is not possible," the AIT said.
The AIT, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan, lauded Taiwan as a democratic success story, a reliable partner and a force for good in the world, and said the U.S. acknowledges that Taiwan chooses to voluntarily comply with many U.N. initiatives, as is the case with the SDGs.
"The United States will continue to support Taiwan, especially as it seeks to expand its already significant contributions to addressing global challenges," the AIT reiterated as it did during the past week, when Taiwan lost two diplomatic allies in a row to China.
The Republic of China (Taiwan) lost its U.N. membership in 1971, following the passage of a resolution stating that the People's Republic of China was the sole legitimate representative of China at the international body.
As a result, Taiwan has since been unable to participate in activities under the U.N. system. It has been seeking ways to participate in the U.N. since 1993, but to no avail.
http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201909230020.aspx
