The Practical Imperative of UN Membership for Taiwan

The Practical Imperative of
UN Membership for Taiwan

Taiwan is an oceanic nation of 23 million people in the West Pacific comparable in size to the Netherlands. It is one of the world’s freest nations, rated by Freedom House in its Freedom in the World 2006 survey as being home to Asia’s freest people. Taiwan is also an economic powerhouse. It plays a crucial role in the global economy, most notably in the realm of electronics and IC wafer production. In 2006, it was the 17th-largest trading nation, outperforming 90 percent of the world’s nations. Moreover, for nearly six decades, it has met the universally accepted criteria for sovereignty specified in the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States.
Incredibly, however, Taiwan is shut out of the United Nations.
For many years, Taiwan has urged UN members to uphold the principle, enunciated in the UN Charter, that UN membership should be enjoyed by all peace-loving states that are willing and able to carry out their obligations specified in the Charter. As explained in numerous publications issued by the Government of Taiwan, the most immediate reasons for its doing so are (a) to assert its right, as a sovereign state, to participate in the world body’s deliberation of global affairs, and (b) to utilize the UN as a vehicle for consultations aimed at resolving the longstanding sovereignty dispute between Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China, popularly known simply as China.
Democratic Taiwan is indisputably a state, and has never been part of the authoritarian People’s Republic. Nevertheless, Beijing threatens to annex Taiwan by force and refuses to communicate with Taiwan’s government unless the latter first accepts that Taiwan is part of China. Beijing, in other words, does not want to discuss the sovereignty issue but only the terms of Taiwan’s surrender.
Up until 2006, Taiwan’s appeals were moderate, for the most part simply urging the UN General Assembly to take action to facilitate a peaceful resolution of that dispute. Under pressure from China, however, the General Assembly has declined to include Taiwan’s requests on its agenda for discussion and action.
This highly regrettable situation has prompted Taiwan to take more positive action. In 2007, it applied for new membership in the UN under its universally recognized name rather than under its official moniker, Republic of China, which is confusingly similar to the People’s Republic of China. The failure of the General Assembly to act on Taiwan’s repeated requests is regrettable for two major reasons:
First, tensions continue to build between Taiwan and China as the latter deploys increasing numbers of missiles across the Taiwan Strait—about 1,000 to date—targeted at Taiwan, and presses forward with preparations to annex Taiwan by force. If the international community persists in looking the other way, the possibility of a catastrophic conflict affecting the entire world can only grow. This cause for concern has been thoroughly discussed in numerous reports published throughout the world.
Second, UN membership is not just something to which Taiwan is entitled. It is essential to the wellbeing of its people for many practical reasons. In today’s globalized world, only countries that go out into the world can enjoy unlimited horizons. The United Nations system of organizations and UN-affiliated organizations have become indispensable for advancing humanity’s common interests in political, social, scientific, educational, health-related, economic, cultural, and artistic realms. People in countries that cannot take part in these organizations’ activities are seriously deprived of means to improve their quality of life, fully develop their creative potential, and contribute to the common good.
Shutting Taiwan out of the UN, therefore, is unconscionable. Doing so imposes intolerable constraints on its people’s development in every domain.
As previous literature concerning Taiwan’s aspiration to join the family of nations has not emphasized these practical concerns, this booklet summarizes a few of the practical reasons why, for its own good, and for the good of the world community, it is imperative for Taiwan to take its rightful place in the United Nations—and why the people of Taiwan and their government are redoubling their efforts to join the world body.
As Taiwan is not a UN member, it is alone in preventing and fighting disease.

The SARS outbreak ended in 2003, but its memory lingers on. Because it is shut out of the UN World Health Organization (WHO), Taiwan was unable to obtain timely information on how to prevent and control the disease. Seven long weeks passed from the time SARS spread from China to Taiwan until the WHO dispatched experts to Taiwan to provide assistance. Consequently, the SARS epidemic resulted in 346 confirmed cases, 73 deaths, and billions of dollars in economic damages.
China not only obstructs Taiwan’s efforts to join the UN, but considers the WHO to be its sphere of influence. It claims that it has the right to approve any assistance from the WHO to Taiwan but completely disregards the fact that actions required to protect human health and life brook no delay. Thanks to China’s obstructionism, the WHO’s goal of “health for all” cannot be met.
SARS is gone, but the circumstances that led to its disastrous impact on Taiwan remain unchanged. Taiwan is still excluded from the WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). Its health authorities are shut out of important WHO technical conferences. They are unable to attend WHO-related training programs and exchange information. Should a new disease outbreak occur, it is likely that the health rights of the 23 million people of Taiwan will again be disregarded.
Taiwan’s decade-long effort to do so has been in vain because it remains outside the UN family. Only when Taiwan becomes a UN member can the above-mentioned predicaments be resolved.

Through membership in the UN, Taiwan could exert a powerful stabilizing influence on international finance.

Global financial conditions may be likened to highway traffic conditions: Just as careful drivers cannot avoid being affected by road conditions and the behavior of other drivers, no country can avoid being affected by changes in the overall state of global financial health as well as by the financial behavior of governments and major players in the financial world.
This reality has been demonstrated time and again by the chain-reaction bank failures seen during worldwide depressions, by the financial crisis in East Asia in 1997-1998, and, more recently, by the international ripples set in motion by the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States.
Global cooperation between national financial authorities and bankers is therefore absolutely essential to avoid crises and, when they do occur, to swiftly bring them under control. Taiwan could be a major contributor to collective mechanisms and organizations, such as the UN-affiliated International Monetary Fund (IMF), that are dedicated to that mission.
This is demonstrated not only by Taiwan’s clout in global trade but by its sound standards of business practice and corporate governance and its effective regulatory system. Thanks to this, Taiwan sailed through the Asian financial crisis virtually unscathed. Both its financial sector and real estate market have been unaffected by the recent US subprime mortgage crisis. And its stock market has proven to be relatively immune to the influence of large fluctuations in large bourses around the world, including China’s.
Taiwan is more than willing to make a substantial contribution to the operations of the UN-affiliated World Bank, both in terms of funding and oversight. With its help, the World Bank would be able to play a more effective role in human development.

Taiwan’s exclusion from the UN creates loopholes for drug trafficking, terrorist activities, and corruption.

Taiwan’s exclusion from the UN exacerbates crime prevention and law enforcement not only in Taiwan but in other countries as well.
Take, for example, the illegal transport of narcotics, weapons, and nuclear waste. Because Taiwan is not a UN member, it cannot become a signatory to the Nairobi Convention and cannot benefit from, or contribute to, the system of intelligence gathering and dissemination and of law enforcement cooperation that has been established to implement the convention. Perpetuation of this gap in global crime prevention efforts is hurtful to the wellbeing of people in Taiwan and throughout the world.
Especially since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, preventing terrorism has become a global priority. Taiwan, however, cannot participate in the UN’s global anti-terrorist activities, and is forced to resort to informal cooperation with various countries in combating terrorism.
Because Taiwan is not a member of the UN, it is unable to sign the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Furthermore, Taiwan cannot benefit fully from international cooperation in tracking down and extraditing criminals or in recovering ill-gotten assets.
“The world is flat,” and as in every other domain, globalization is proceeding at a fast pace in the world of crime. Drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and economic crime can only be stemmed through international cooperation.

Taiwan’s exclusion from the UN compromises aviation safety.

Responsible for the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR), Taiwan is a major international transportation hub linking Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and North America. Over 1.54 million flights pass through the Taipei FIR each year. For the sake of passenger safety and international security. Taiwan should directly participate in the affairs of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). It cannot, however, because it is not a UN member.
Global civil aviation safety standards established by the ICAO are the basis of many countries’ civil aviation regulations. Taiwan obtains information only indirectly from the ICAO through the US Federal Aviation Administration, but the information thereby received is neither as comprehensive nor as timely as it might be. Obviously, this negatively impacts Taiwan’s ability to smoothly implement aviation safety programs.
The ICAO is currently planning the creation of a “public key directory” (PKD) for ePassports with embedded microchips. Given that Taiwan is unable to participate in multilateral PKD consultations, when the new system is implemented, problems may be encountered when conducting passport inspections. This, in turn, has obvious implications for the effectiveness of crime prevention efforts.
Enhancing safety and security standards within the Taipei FIR demands action on the part of the ICAO. Its continued exclusion of Taiwan from participation in its affairs is patently unwise as well as unprincipled.

Without UN membership, Taiwan cannot contribute its expertise to the formulation of international product standards.

As a non-UN member, Taiwan is prevented from participating in the affairs of the UN-affiliated International Standards Organization (ISO) and consequently has little say in the formulation of product specifications.
The ISO’s shunning of Taiwan has influenced Taiwan’s treatment by other organizations that are not UN-affiliated. ISO standards concerning electrical and electronic equipment and components, for example, are formulated through close cooperation with the International Electrotechnical Commission. The commission follows the ISO’s lead in denying participation to representatives of Taiwanese companies, which are acknowledged as world leaders in the manufacture of electrical and electronic goods.
Taiwan deserves to have a voice in international standard formulation commensurate with its innovation capabilities and its prominence in the manufacture of a broad range of products that are indispensable to the lives of people throughout the world. Enabling Taiwan’s voice to be heard will benefit the world.

Unable to enter the UN, Taiwan is denied opportunities to invest in other countries.

Because it is not a member of the UN, Taiwan is also unable to become a member of the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, or the International Development Association. As a result, it cannot utilize these organizations’ technological assistance, personnel training, and consultation services.
Whenever the World Bank or the Inter-American Development Bank establishes a development and aid plan, many business opportunities are created. Such opportunities, however, are inaccessible to Taiwanese businesspeople.
Since Taiwan is not a member of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), its businesses cannot participate in MIGA’s investment and insurance programs and guarantee services.
Taiwan is also denied membership in the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Therefore, when Taiwanese businesses invest in a foreign country and disputes arise, they cannot use the ICSID’s international arbitration mechanism to obtain a fair and reasonable solution. Nor can they avail themselves of binding arbitration in other countries in accordance with the New York Convention.
Taiwan’s exclusion from the UN affects its businesses’ ability to invest abroad and maintain a global perspective. Taiwan must become a member of the UN not just for the sake of its national dignity, but for its people’s economic wellbeing as well.

Exclusion of Taiwan from the UN hinders the development of Taiwan’s maritime shipping and fishing industries.

Taiwan has the world’s tenth-largest maritime shipping industry. Locked out of the UN, however, it has been unable to join the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Therefore, it cannot obtain firsthand information from the IMO concerning its meetings. Still worse, certificates of survey and certification of seamen issued by Taiwan’s government have often been rejected or questioned, thereby increasing costs. This has negatively impacted the development of Taiwan’s maritime transportation, causing the number of vessels registered in Taiwan to steadily decrease. When international maritime disputes concerning Taiwan-registered vessels arise, their owners are often treated unfairly in negotiations, arbitration, and requests for compensation.
Taiwan upholds its moral obligation to assist ships in distress in its area of responsibility and engage in maritime rescues. Despite this, Taiwan-registered vessels are not accorded equitable and reciprocal treatment in the world community. Moreover, whether in cases of emergencies or disputes, the government of Taiwan is prevented from extending direct assistance to its nationals and other governments, having to commission NGOs to act in its stead.
Although it has the world’s sixth-largest offshore fishing industry, Taiwan is unable to attend official meetings of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, or the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission. In short, Taiwan strives to fulfill its obligations but does not enjoy commensurate rights. This has undermined the development of Taiwan’s offshore fishing industry and the interests of Taiwan’s fishermen.
Politics and economics are inseparable from one another. Taiwan’s continued exclusion from the UN has had a clear and negative impact on Taiwan’s economy and its people’s livelihood.

Being kept out of the UN will stifle the development of Taiwan’s telecommunications industry.

With the world’s highest GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) penetration rate and being a major manufacturer of cellular phones and telecommunications equipment, Taiwan is a telecommunications powerhouse. Despite this, Taiwan’s exclusion from the UN means that it cannot join the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The ITU regulates the use of frequencies for global telecommunications and sets telecommunications standards and regulations. Taiwan is unable to attend negotiation meetings regarding satellite frequencies, and, as a result, foreign broadcasts often interfere with its own frequencies. Taiwan is also unable to establish mechanisms for cooperating with other nations regarding the safety of submarine cables that pass through the Taiwan Strait and link East Asia with the world.
Taiwan is a leader in the manufacture of advanced telecommunications equipment. Nevertheless, its enterprises miss out on opportunities for research, development, and manufacturing because it is not included in ITU discussions on the establishment of new telecommunications technology standards.
For its telecommunications industry to develop steadily, it is imperative that Taiwan become a UN member.

Unless Taiwan becomes a member of the UN, it cannot enjoy protection of its agricultural intellectual property rights or effectively track the international movements of plants and animals.

Shut out of the UN, Taiwan cannot join the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Information about national parks, ecological protection areas, and activities concerning the implementation of international conventions must therefore be obtained indirectly. It is impossible for Taiwan to conduct direct exchanges with other countries or receive technological guidance or financial support from the IUCN.
As Taiwan cannot join the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, plant varieties (such as orchids) that it develops employing its advanced biotechnology do not enjoy legal protection. Those wishing to infringe upon intellectual property rights, therefore, can freely register these new species in other countries. This affects the development of Taiwan’s agriculture and undermines farmers’ interests.
Situated in the subtropical zone, Taiwan is endowed with a rich diversity of plant and animal life. Because it is not a signatory of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, however, it has no access to mechanisms for registering its plant and animal species and varieties, or for monitoring international movements of them. Those who desire to illicitly profit from such movements can do so with relative impunity, and Taiwanese companies and Taiwan’s government have no recourse to effective legal action.

The political apartheid which keeps Taiwan out of the UN is an affront to the dignity of its 23 million people.

When Taiwanese athletes Chen Shih-hsin and Chu Mu-yen received medals at the Athens Olympics, their national flag was not hoisted, their national anthem not played, and their national moniker not intoned.

Could you, if you were a Taiwanese citizen, stand to see your nation’s star athletes treated so insultingly?

When Taiwan’s majestic Taroko Gorge cannot be registered as a World Heritage Site…
…when renowned Taiwanese director Ang Lee’s movie Lust, Caution is labeled a production of China and he is prevented from representing his country at the Academy Awards competition for Best Foreign Film…
…when Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing asks, “Who is he?” in response to hearing the name Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan’s president…
…when former Chinese Vice Premier and Health Minister Wu Yi responds to Taiwan’s efforts to win observer status at the annual World Health Assembly by publicly saying “Who cares about you?”…
…or when the World Health Assembly bans Taiwanese journalists from covering its proceedings…

Wouldn’t you, if you were Taiwanese, bristle at such rejection and belittlement?

A brief interruption of production of IC chips at the Hsinchu Science Park that resulted from an earthquake on September 21, 1999 triggered a plunge in semiconductor stock values in the US, demonstrating the critical role Taiwan plays in the global IC industry.
Besides being the world’s 17th-largest trading nation in 2006, in that year Taiwan was also the world’s 25th-biggest overseas investor, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
Despite its economic prominence and status as one of the world’s freest nations, Taiwan is barred from joining the UN.

If your country were treated in this manner, wouldn’t you be indignant?

Particularly in view of their solid contributions to regional and global undertakings, the people of Taiwan are becoming increasingly weary and resentful of being ostracized in the international community.
Taiwan must and will break through this immoral “political apartheid.”
We appeal to UN member states: For the benefit of the world as well as Taiwan, please do what is right. Support UN membership for Taiwan.

Taiwan Snapshot
Numbers tell the story
Additional indications of Taiwan’s vitality and progressive spirit include the following:

In 2006, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry was the world’s fourth-largest. It was No. 1 in IC wafer output, IC packaging, and IC testing, and was No. 2 in IC design.

Taiwan was the world’s largest producer of TFT-LCD flat-panel displays in 2006.

Taiwan has ranked fourth in the number of US patents granted for the past several years, behind only the United States, Japan, and Germany.

Taiwan’s new high-speed rail has cut the land-based travel time from Taipei in the North to Kaohsiung in the South by 75 percent, from five hours to 90 minutes.

In Taiwan, approximately 54 percent of college students are female, the highest rate of female college enrollment in Asia, and higher than that of the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.

The proportion of female parliamentarians in Taiwan is one of the highest in the world, even higher than that of the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan.

Taiwan is constructing a world-class social security system. Launched in 1995, Taiwan’s National Health Insurance program now covers virtually the entire population. The welfare of Taiwan’s people is also protected by an employment insurance program launched in 2002 and a portable labor pension system launched in 2005. Legislation for the institution of a social security-type “national pension system” was enacted in 2007.

On a world map that alters nations’ areas to reflect the relative sizes of their respective GDPs, Taiwan’s prominence becomes obvious:

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