Leaders of several Pacific Islands nations have told the United Nations General Assembly that Taiwan should be able to participate fully in the UN and World Health Organisation.
China continues to oppose Taiwan's involvement as an equal partner at the UN or WHO, but the four Micronesian countries which are Taiwan's remaining diplomatic allies in the Pacific say it's time to bring it into the fold.
Nauru's President Lionel Aingimea addresses the UN General Assembly by video link, 23 September, 2021 Photo: UN
The presidents of Nauru, Marshall Islands and Palau - the latter two of whom addressed the Assembly by video link - devoted significant portions of their speeches to highlighting the valuable assistance that Taiwan extends them.
For these three countries, as well as Tuvalu, Taiwan's support has helped them remain largely free of Covid-19.
Nauru's President Lionel Aingimea urged the UN to ensure Taiwan's people enjoy the same rights as those of other nations.
"The United Nations must live up to its ideals of universality and equality, respecting the worth of every individual," he said.
"Taiwan is an important part of the global response to this pandemic, and its exemplary repsonse to the global pandemic should not be ignored.
"Taiwan is ready to share their experience, and aspire to do so by joining the World Health Assembly."
Aingimea's call echoed comments at the Assembly by his Palau and Marshall Islands counterparts, Surangel Whipps Jr and David Kabua.
Kabua urged the UN to put an end to the "shameful silence" on Taiwan's exclusion from the UN system.
"As a people-centric institution, the UN cannot ignore the Taiwanese people or continue to use their nationality to exclude them from attending public meetings or public tours at its headquarters. The shameful silence must end," Kabua said.
"The democratic government of Taiwan should be allowed to participate in an equal and dignified manner within the UN system," Kabua said, adding that this would include the WHO, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
Palau's President Surangel Whipps Jr speaking at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly Photo: UN
Micronesian leaders raise climate crisis
In their addresses to the UN General Assembly, the Micronesian leaders also called for global co-operation to ensure not only a resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, but also urgent action to mitigate climate change.
Whipps challenged the global community to confront the climate crisis with the urgency it showed in the pandemic response.
The Palau leader highlighted the impacts of climate change, citing typhoons, sea level rise and droughts, saying they were ever harmful to his people's food security and health
"Simply put we must act now to ensure our children inherit a healthy and reliable future. We need to act now before further irreparable damage is made to our planet."
"The gradual destruction of climate change has allowed us to be complacent and respond mostly by kicking the can down the road. However ladies and gentlemen the IPCC report has indicated that we are running out of time."
