NEW YORK, USA, (TaiwanToday) – Allies and like-minded partners of Taiwan spoke out on the country’s behalf during the 80th UN General Assembly’s general debate at the end of September in New York.
Leaders or high-ranking officials from ten countries praised Taiwan’s achievements as a technological powerhouse and its commitment to the UN’s sustainable development goals. They also raised concerns about the exclusionary lens through which General Assembly Resolution 2758 is being read.
President Surangel Samuel Whipps Jr. of Palau and president Hilda Heine of the Marshall Islands pointed out that the resolution has been misinterpreted, while King Mswati III of Eswatini; Alva Romanus Baptiste, Saint Lucia’s external affairs minister; and prime minister Feleti Teo of Tuvalu emphasised that the resolution does not preclude Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the U.N. system.
Santiago Peña Palacios, president of Paraguay, warned that the exclusion of Taiwan and its people from the U.N. and related mechanisms undermines the legitimacy of such institutions.
Cross-strait tensions were also of major concern during the debate. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines called for peace in the Taiwan Strait, and president Petr Pavel of Czechia said that disruption of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait could pose a threat to global security and trade.
Prime Minister John Briceño of Belize lauded Taiwan for its leading position in the global supply chain and its ongoing developments in biotechnology and renewable energy.