The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is an important issue under the WTO, which set targets to be achieved by 2030 in areas such as poverty reduction, health, education, and the environment. In the era of post-COVID-19, Taiwan, as a Member of the WTO and the international society, has demonstrated her determination to contribute to public health and implementation of the SDGs.
In 2020, the world has been hit by COVID-19 which affects every aspect of people’s lives. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations—the mission statement that stands at the very heart of the inclusive multilateralism the world needs so much at the present moment. Now more than ever, the global community must make a concerted effort to forge the better and more sustainable future.
With less than 500 confirmed cases and seven deaths, Taiwan has defied predictions and successfully contained COVID-19. We managed this without lockdowns; schools were only closed for two weeks in February. Baseball games also restarted in April. Initially, cardboard cutouts stood in for the crowds, but by mid-July games were back in full swing, attended by as many as 10,000 spectators.
This has all come in no small part due to Taiwan’s quick response measures, including the establishment of a Central Epidemic Command Center, the implementation of stringent border controls and quarantine procedures, and transparent information-sharing. We also took swift action to ensure an adequate stock of medical supplies for our world-class health care system. And after making sure we had enough supplies to look after our own people, we started providing medical equipment and supplies to other countries in serious need. By the end of June, Taiwan had donated 51 million surgical masks, 1.16 million N95 masks, 600,000 isolation gowns, 35,000 forehead thermometers, and other medical materials to more than 80 countries, including the United States, Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, and European nations. We have also joined forces with like-minded countries to explore the development of rapid test kits, medicines, and vaccines. Working together for the greater good is how the world will defeat COVID-19.
In the Declaration on the Commemoration of the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the United Nations, governments and heads of state acknowledge that only by working together in solidarity can we end the pandemic and effectively tackle its consequences. They thus pledge to make the UN more inclusive and to leave no one behind as the world looks to recover from the pandemic. Similarly, in remarks at the High-level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council on “Multilateralism after COVID-19: what kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary?” in July, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that networked, inclusive, and effective multilateralism would aid global efforts to promote recovery and the continued implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
By drawing on its outstanding work on the SDGs, Taiwan can help countries better recover from the disruption caused by the pandemic. In fact, Taiwan has long been assisting its partner countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Pacific with their development goals in areas as clean energy, waste management, and disaster prevention. Moreover, many of our SDG indicators—including gender equality, economic growth, clean water and sanitation, reduced inequality, and good health and wellbeing—have reached levels comparable to OECD countries. Our economy has proven resilient: the Asian Development Bank forecast that Taiwan’s economic performance in 2020 would be the best among the Four Asian Tigers—the only one to show positive growth.
For many years, Taiwan has committed to assisting other countries overcoming health challenges and in pursuit of the SDGs. Our continuing efforts to implement the SDGs coupled with our proven pandemic response put Taiwan in a much better position than most to help the global community in tackling the ongoing challenges facing humanity. Having Taiwan’s input in the global community will help combat the pandemic and implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in full and on time.
