State and National Leaders oppose the misuse of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758
The distortion of UNGA 2758 has real-world consequences. UNGA 2758 is misused to bar Taiwan from participating fully in critical international bodies, including the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Taiwan’s exclusion from INTERPOL deprives the organization of vital input for geopolitical reasons, violating its own “vision” of “a world where law enforcement can securely access, share, and communicate vital policy information whenever and wherever needed, thereby supporting the security of the world’s citizens”. Taiwan has a strong willingness and ability to contribute to fighting transnational crime, including cybercrime, for which it is ideally suited given its robust information, communications, and technology (ICT) sector. Excluding Taiwan from the WHO prevents Taipei from efficiently sharing best practices globally. Given Taiwan’s exemplary handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan’s contributions in the health space are particularly valuable. Aviation safety is a universal issue that requires participation by all global stakeholders, and Taiwan’s exclusion is particularly risky since the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) is among the busiest in the world.
As a sovereign country with a population of more than 23.5 million located in one of the globe’s fastest growing regions with a dynamic economy that leads in the manufacturing of many of the technologies underpinning 21st century innovation, Taiwan’s participation in these international organizations would enhance their work. However, Taiwan’s efforts for membership and even participation are routinely obstructed by the PRC.
PRC weaponization of UNGA 2758 also carries strategic consequences for the United States. Taiwan is in the center of the first island chain, a strategically significant string of islands that stretches from Japan to the Philippines and Indonesia. The first island chain is vital to US force projection in the Asia-Pacific and serves as a deterrent to PRC aggression. Additionally, the U.S. and Taiwan share a mutually beneficial economic partnership, especially in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors. America’s innovation capabilities, combined with Taiwan’s advanced manufacturing expertise, strengthen and advance U.S. leadership in the global AI sector. A loss of Taiwanese self-determination would negatively affect America’s international supply chains and national security. We, the undersigned lawmakers, support the U.S. government in continuing to uphold its security commitments to Taiwan in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances. The United States’ firm support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations reflects its consistent and long-standing position. We likewise back continued U.S. actions to support Taiwan and counter China’s legal warfare tactics, which have become more brazen with time, including coercing countries to deny overflight permission for an aircraft transporting Taiwan’s President Lai to Eswatini on an official visit this spring.
Finally, Taiwan is recognized as a beacon of democracy in the Asia-Pacific, a distinction that gives hope to nascent democracies. Taiwan’s full inclusion in the world community would help to strengthen the resolve of other nations in the region to emulate this vibrant, open, and economically successful country.
ALEC has long supported Taiwan’s right to self-determination, and ALEC members have adopted model policies aimed at strengthening the US-Taiwan partnership for more than 16 years. It is time for the United Nations to acknowledge Taiwan’s legitimacy and to cease misusing UNGA 2758 to undermine Taiwan on the world stage.
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