Taipei, Dec. 3 (CNA) The leaders of Taiwan’s four diplomatic allies on Saturday called for Taiwan’s inclusion in the United Nations system during the ongoing 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) being held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
On the second day of the high-level segment of COP28, prime ministers of Taiwan’s Caribbean allies Saint Lucia and Saint Kitts and Nevis, Pacific ally Tuvalu, and African ally Eswatini voiced their support for Taiwan’s participation in the U.N.’s annual climate change conference.
In his address, Saint Lucian Prime Minister Philip Pierre said that “the time is now for world leaders to transform to a safer place for our children.”
“And in this battle Taiwan must not be left behind,” he underlined.
Prime Minister Terrance Drew of the Saint Kitts and Nevis named Taiwan as a “reliable global partner in the climate crisis.”
“Saint Kitts and Nevis firmly believes that Taiwan, as an island nation, should be allowed to play meaningful role in the existential policy drives of the United Nations,” he said.
Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano, meanwhile, said in his speech that all the challenges being faced by the world need all countries around the world to take part in, to address.
“I therefore urge the members of U.N. to recognize the contribution of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to assist with climate change challenges, health issues and so forth,” he said.
In his address, Russell Mmiso Dlamini, prime minister of the Kingdom of Eswatini, said all countries should be part of the agreements and commitments on climate action.
“If countries like Taiwan have voluntarily committed for the sake of the planet and people without being a party to the negotiations, then the rest of us can,” he said, adding that Eswatini calls for Taiwan’s formal inclusion in future COP meetings.
The 2023 U.N. Climate Change Conference, or Conference of the Parties of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), more commonly referred to as COP28, is the 28th U.N. Climate Change conference, which is being held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 in Dubai.
The conference has been held annually since the first U.N. climate agreement was reached in 1992. It is intended to be a platform for governments to discuss and agree on policies to limit global temperature rises and adapt to impacts associated with climate change.
Taiwan, officially called the Republic of China, left the U.N. in 1971, when the People’s Republic of China took its place, and it has since been excluded from the U.N.’s special agencies, including the UNFCCC.
Since 1995, Taiwan officials have taken part in the annual conference through the government-funded Industrial Technology Research Institute, acting as an NGO observer.
