Jaushieh Joseph Wu

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Republic of China (Taiwan)

After more than 200 million infections and over 4 million deaths and counting, the COVID-19 pandemic has raged across the globe. This has created a profoundly devastating socio-economic impact on our interconnected world, with virtually no countries spared. The pandemic has disrupted global trade, exacerbated poverty, impeded education, and compromised gender equality, with middle to low income nations bearing the brunt of the burden. 

As many countries brace for another spike of the virus, prompted by the highly contagious Delta variant, the world looks up to the United Nations (UN) to ramp up comprehensive efforts to resolve the crisis, ensure better recovery, and rebuild sustainably. This is a daunting task that requires all hands on deck. It is time for the global body to welcome Taiwan, a valuable and worthy partner that stands ready to lend a helping hand.  

Over the past few months, Taiwan, like many other countries, has been dealing with a surge of COVID-19 cases after almost a year of success in containing the virus. Yet, it got a handle on the situation and emerged even more ready to work with allies and partners to tackle the challenges posed by the pandemic. Taiwan’s effective response to the pandemic, its rapid capacity expansion to meet global supply chain demand, and its substantive assistance toward partner countries around the world all speak to the fact that there is no lack of compelling reasons for Taiwan to play a constructive role in the UN system.

However, under pressure from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the UN and its specialized agencies continue to reject Taiwan, citing the 1971 UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI) as a legal basis for this exclusion. But the language of the resolution is crystal clear: it merely addresses the issue of China’s representation in the UN; there is no mention of Chinese claim of sovereignty over Taiwan, nor does it authorize the PRC to represent Taiwan in the UN system. The fact is, the PRC has never governed Taiwan. This is the reality and status quo across the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. The Taiwanese people can only be represented on the international stage by their popularly elected government. By falsely equating the language of the resolution with Beijing’s “one China Principle,” the PRC is arbitrarily imposing its political views on the UN. 

The absurdity doesn’t end there. This exclusion also obstructs the participation of Taiwan’s civil society. Taiwanese passport holders are denied access to UN premises, both for tours and meetings, while Taiwanese journalists cannot obtain accreditation to cover UN events. The only reason for this discriminatory treatment is their nationality. Barring members of Taiwan’s civil society from the UN defeats the ideal of multilateralism, contravenes the UN’s founding principles of promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and hampers the UN’s overall efforts. 

For six decades, Taiwan has been providing assistance to partner countries around the world. Since the adoption of the UN 2030 Agenda, it has focused on helping partners achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and, more recently, engage in antipandemic response and postpandemic recovery. Meanwhile, at home, Taiwan has fulfilled its SDGs in gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and good health and well-being, among others. Our innovative, community-based solutions are harnessing public-private partnerships for the benefit of society as a whole.

The World Happiness Report 2021, released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, ranked Taiwan the happiest in East Asia, and 24th in the world. The ranking indicates how the people of a country feel about the social support they receive, and reflects in large part a country’s implementation of the SDGs. Taiwan is willing to pass on its experience and work with global partners to build a better and more resilient future for all.

At a time when the world is sounding the clarion call for climate actions and to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Taiwan is actively charting a roadmap toward the goal, and has drafted dedicated legislation to facilitate this process. Climate change knows no borders, and concerted efforts are a must if we want a sustainable future. Taiwan knows this, and is working on the best ways to turn the challenges of carbon reduction into new opportunities.

In his oath of office in June this year, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed our shared vulnerability and interconnectedness. He said that the UN, and the states and people it serves, can only benefit from bringing others to the table.

Denying partners that have the ability to contribute is a moral and material loss to the world as we seek to recover better together. Taiwan is a force for good. Now is the time to bring Taiwan to the table and let Taiwan help.

The post Reimagining A More Resilient UN System With Taiwan In It appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have donated $10,000 to Hope for Haiti as the nation looks to rebuild after a devastating earthquake.

“Our entire organization would like to thank @vancityreynolds and @blakelively for their generous donation to our #HaitiEarthquake Response & Recovery efforts,” Hope for Haiti announced on Instagram Tuesday.

“This donation will help empower our team to continue to respond in the hardest-hit areas of southern Haiti in the days and weeks to come,” the nonprofit added.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hope for Haiti (@hopeforhaiti)

RELATED: Celebrity Chef José Andrés Supplies Food to Earthquake Victims in Haiti: Here’s How You Can Help

TMZ later confirmed the actors donated $10,000, saying the funds will help establish mobile clinics to those most in need, as determined by the Ministry of Health. The donation will also reportedly help cover food delivery distribution costs from World Central Kitchen.

Haiti was hit by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake on Aug. 14 and drenched two days later by Tropical Depression Grace, the Associated Press reported, causing dangerous flooding.

The earthquake killed at least 2,200 people and injured more than 12,000 citizens, according to NBC News. The natural disaster devastated the Haitian community, who are currently experiencing political unrest following their president’s assassination, as well as public health instability with the rise of coronavirus cases. 

In a nod to the long-term recovery efforts that will be necessary in Haiti, Prime Minister Ariel Henry issued a month-long state of emergency, per the AP.

The post Hollywood Stars’ Donation Gives Hope for Haiti appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

The post Haiti Quake: $1.2B in Damage for Starters appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, August 25, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — Basseterre’s Port Zante is no ordinary cruise passenger port, having been described by the authoritative TripAdvisor as “one of the newer and upscale cruise ports in the Caribbean that cruise ships stop at,” and one that became a marquee port two years in a row for amassing over a million cruise passengers to the country’s shores.

But as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic, cruise tourism worldwide almost ground to a halt. As the industry is showing strong signs of picking up, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is all out to ensure that Port Zante returns to its former glory and that it is positioned to take its rightful place in the global cruise tourism industry.

“At our Cabinet meeting on Monday, August 16^th we took a decision to spur cruise tourism by making a major concession to allow vaccinated cruise passengers to enter the Federation utilising the antigen tests,” said Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris at his monthly press conference held on Tuesday August 24 at the NEMA conference room in Lime Kiln.

The Honourable Prime Minister however advised that in making that decision they took a number of factors into consideration. One of the factors was that once visitors are fully vaccinated, the risk of their transmitting the virus to the people here is significantly reduced.

Present at the press conference included the Minister of Tourism the Hon Lindsay Grant, and the Minister of Health the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett.

“The strong roll-out of our vaccination programme has seen St. Kitts and Nevis emerge with over 62 percent of the adult population fully vaccinated – this is one of the highest in the hemisphere – and over 73 percent having taken at least their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine,” noted Dr Harris. “This significant higher level of vaccination provides a further level of protection against the virus. Of course we must never become complacent or drop our guard.”

He further noted that there will be coordinated efforts to manage cruise visits through bubble arrangements which will result in a safe corridor of containment, and added that with the advent of the Pfizer vaccine even more persons can be, and will be, protected.

“The opening up of cruise tourism will put thousands of persons back to work, increasing income flows and business activity,” said Prime Minister Harris. “We took note that for 17 months a large number of persons like taxi operators, and some employees at duty free shops at Port Zante and elsewhere have been without meaningful work. A brighter future now awaits them. They however should minimise their risks by getting vaccinated and observing all protocols.”

With the opening up of the cruise sector, the heavy dependence of state-owned enterprises SCASPA and Solid Waste on budgetary support from the Federal Government will be lessened as they will receive their own steady inflows from cruise business. For 2020 and 2021 the government supported these entities to the tune of $12.4 million.

“The opening up of the sector will safeguard our heavy investments in cruise tourism and consolidate the gains so carefully built up over six years by my administration,” said the Prime Minister. “The success of this is that St. Kitts and Nevis became a marquee port two years in a row, amassing over one million cruise passengers to our shores.”

He added: “We thank all the stakeholders and the Ministry of Tourism led by the Hon Lindsay Grant. St. Kitts and Nevis recorded the fastest growth in cruise tourism in the region. We will build on this even as we diversify around tourism and increase our stay over arrivals, thereby building a stronger and more resilient economy.”

Also present at the press conference were Federal Cabinet Ministers the Hon Eugene Hamilton, the Hon Jonel Powell, the Hon Eric Evelyn, the Hon Wendy Phipps, and the Hon Vincent Byron Jr.

The post Government to spur cruise tourism to put thousands back to work, says PM Harris appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

“I would like to thank the US authorities for the trust placed in FIFA,” its president Gianni Infantino said in a statement, pledging “we will make sure that these funds are used properly and bring tangible benefits for people who really need it.”

Under FIFA’s Control

The forfeited money — in a case unsealed in 2015 that led to more than 50 people or corporate entities charged — will now be under FIFA’s control in Zurich though it mostly never belonged to the world soccer body.

The money was typically linked to bribes and kickbacks from broadcasting and sponsor deals for continental competitions in the Americas and national deals for World Cup qualifying games.

More than $150 million was to be forfeited by Jose Hawilla, the Brazilian marketing executive who has since died. His group of agencies had close relationships with South American soccer body CONMEBOL and North America’s CONCACAF (The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football).

In separate statements, Paraguay-based CONMEBOL said it was entitled to $71 million of the forfeited money and Miami-based CONCACAF said its share was $70 million. Each soccer body lost a succession of presidents who resigned in the scandal.

That would leave $60 million for FIFA though it will control distribution of all the money, which Infantino said would be subject to “strict monitoring, auditing and compliance checks.”

It is unclear how much total cash has been recovered though the DOJ said “well over” the initial $32.2 million granted “has been seized and has been or is expected to be forfeited to the United States in the Eastern District of New York.”

The remission deal follows more than five years after FIFA claimed tens of millions of dollars in restitution for itself from money held by prosecutors who secured dozens of guilty pleas from soccer and marketing executives, mostly in the Americas.

Some are still awaiting sentencing in federal court in Brooklyn years after admitting charges of financial wrongdoing including racketeering conspiracy. Indicted soccer officials have avoided extradition while remaining in Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago.

AP

The post CONCACAF Seeks $70 million from Confiscated FIFA Money appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.