Six friendly countries have expressed vocal support for Taiwan during speeches at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York taking place this week. Supportive comments were given by the leaders of Guatemala, Paraguay, Palau, Marshall Islands, Eswatini, and Nauru. All six countries have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, making up half of the 12 U.N. members which still maintain official ties.
President of the Republic of Nauru Russ Kun thanked Taiwan for their support of his country’s health care system. He said Taiwan continues to be a leading example in responding to and containing diseases. He called on the U.N. to recognize and allow Taiwan to participate in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which include the principle of “leaving no one behind.”
Leaders from Taiwan’s diplomatic allies Saint Lucia, Haiti, and Tuvalu are scheduled to give speeches at the UNGA on Friday local time.
Beyond the U.N. headquarters, Digital Minister Audrey Tang (唐鳳) gave a speech at the Concordia Annual Summit taking place alongside the UNGA. Her speech, titled “Flashpoint: Digital Democracy in the Age of AI” focused on how to use AI to improve governance while preventing its potential negative impacts on society.
Meanwhile, Taiwan Representative to the United States Bi-khim Hsiao (蕭美琴) and head of Taiwan’s New York representative office James K. J. Lee (李光章) held a special event at the New York office. The event, called “Taiwan Friendship Night”, saw two presidents from diplomatic allies, as well as more than 100 representatives from friendly countries in attendance. In a speech, Hsiao thanked the U.S. and other friendly nations for their support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations and for recognizing Taiwan’s contributions to the world.