Taiwan is making progress towards addressing local human rights issues. That statement came from Taiwan's interior ministry on Wednesday at the press conference on the UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).
The ministry shared initial reports on Taiwan's progress towards adhering to the convention. It says although Taiwan is not an official member of the UN, the country is still adopting international guidelines on human rights.
Deputy interior minister Chen Tsun-yen (陳宗彥) says 34 local NGOs and human rights organizations participated in drafting the initial report. Chen says multiculturalism lies at the heart of the report.
He says Taiwan will assess human rights advancement through three frameworks: indigenous populations' history, minority group languages, and basic human rights protection. The initial report will be evaluated by an international panel in the next two years. Chen hopes different departments will work together to demonstrate Taiwan's progress in advancing human rights.