Thank you Mr. President.
At the outset, I offer you my sincere congratulations on your assumption of the Presidency of the 58th session of the General Assembly.
Mr. President,
I am speaking here today in support of the request made by various Member States to have a supplementary item included in the agenda of the 58th session of the General Assembly. That item, as we all know, is the question of the representation of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the United Nations.
Mr. President,
The Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands reiterates it full support for the ongoing quest of the people of ROC (Taiwan) to be permitted to participate in the United Nations.
Under Article 4 of the United Nations Charter, membership to the organization is open to all peace-loving states which accept the obligations of the Charter, and are able and willing to carry out these obligations.
The ROC (Taiwan) is a peace-loving state, committed to the protection and promotion of human rights. It is an active, constructive member of the international community. The ROC (Taiwan) is also ready and willing to accept and carry out the obligations of the UN Charter.
The ROC (Taiwan) is a sovereign state. It has a population of some 23 million people who have democratically elected representatives to government. This government can be the only legitimate representative of the people of ROC (Taiwan) in the United Nations.
Mr. President,
The principle of universality, as expressed in the UN Charter, is completely contradicted by the continued exclusion of a peace-loving, free and democratic State from this organization. There is no justification for this ongoing exclusion.
In today’s world, where the maintenance of regional and international peace and security is becoming our most important priority, it is increasingly important to ensure that this body is a truly global institution, inclusive of all nations, that can come together to address the most pressing issues of our time.
Therefore, I urge all UN Member States to support the inclusion of this item in our agenda for the upcoming General Assembly session. This issue has been allowed to go unaddressed for too long. It is time to put political and strategic interests aside and to take positive action to ensure that the people of Republic of China (Taiwan) can be represented in this global body.
Thank you.
