A two-day forum focused on government transparency and making democracy more resilient has opened in Taipei. In total, 37 delegates from 21 countries are taking part in the 2021 Open Parliament Forum, 15 of whom have come to Taiwan to take part in person.
President Tsai Ing-wen addressed the attendees at the opening of the forum on Thursday.
She said that as authoritarianism expands worldwide, she believes that the forum’s attendees share the goals of building an international democratic bloc and making democracy more resilient.
She said that Taiwan’s own arduous journey from authoritarian rule to democracy is the reason why Taiwan’s government has made greater transparency a goal in recent years.
She said she hopes to use the forum to show Taiwan’s achievement in making the government more open. She also said that Taiwan stands on the frontlines of global democracy, and is willing to share its experience of democratization with all friends that share its values. She said that she hopes to see more international cooperation in the future towards making the global pro-democracy bloc stronger and more resilient.