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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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“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

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Loop- The 2020 Paralympic Games opened this morning with 163 countries crossing the stage at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo, 11 of those from the Caribbean.

The Caribbean nations competing are Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St Vincent and the Grenadines and US Virgin Islands.

Athletes from islands such as Trinidad and Tobago have pulled out from the games due to concerns for their health as coronavirus (COVID-19) is spreading rapidly in Japan.

Twenty-nine athletes, including two Trinidadians, tested positive for COVID-19 at the recently concluded Olympic Games.

Cuba has the largest delegation from the Caribbean.

Here is a look at the Caribbean teams competing in Tokyo:

Aruba

Andre Loonstra is the sole Paralympian representing Aruba in Tokyo.

Loonstra will create history as he is one of the first people to compete in taekwondo at the Paralympic Games.

Loonstra competes in the Men’s K44 +75kg category, which takes place at 10:15 pm (Japan time) on September 4.

Barbados

Swimmer Antwahn Boyce-Vaughan is the only athlete on the Barbadian team.

He is competing in the S9 Men’s 50-metre freestyle

Bermuda

Sprinter Jessica Cooper Lewis, who is the sole athlete on the Bermudian team, has a busy schedule on the track in Tokyo.

She is representing the country in the women’s T-53 100m, 400m and 800m.

Her first event, the 100m, takes place on Wednesday.

Cuba

Omara Durand Elias and Lorenzo Perez Escalona were the flag bearers for Cuba at this morning’s Paralympic Opening Ceremony.

They lead a Cuban team of 17 athletes who are competing in athletics, cycling, judo, powerlifting, shooting, swimming and table tennis.

Dominican Republic

Lourdes Alejandra Aybar Diaz and Patricio Tse Anibal Lopez Fernandez led a contingent of five athletes from the Dominican Republic.

The island has representatives in athletics, powerlifting and swimming.

Grenada

Nye Cruickshank is the sole athlete on the Grenadian contingent in Tokyo.

At 19, she is the youngest Paralympian to represent Grenada.

She will compete in the SB8 category of the 100m Breaststroke.

Guyana

Walter Grant-Stuart is the first Guyanese to compete at the Paralympics.

The 36-year-old will compete in the men’s road cycling and time trial competitions on August 31 and September 3.

Haiti

Ywenson Registre will be making his Paralympic debut in Tokyo.

He will compete in the men’s F57 Shot Put finals on September 3.

Jamaica

Four athletes will be representing Jamaica in Tokyo.

The star of Team Jamaica is Sylvia GRANT, who is competing in her eighth Paralympic Games.

At 58, she is one of the oldest women to compete at the Paralympic Games.

Puerto Rico

Three athletes will be representing Puerto Rico in Tokyo.

They will be competing in judo and athletics.

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Dexroy Creese is the first Paralympian from St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Creese is competing in the men’s S9 50 m freestyle category on Friday.

US Virgin Islands

Jahmaris Nesbitt the US Virgin Islands’ sole Paralympian in Tokyo.

This is the third time the USVI has had a representative at the Paralympic Games.

The 20-year-old competes in the Women’s 100m T-38 category.

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Three U.S. Navy ships and more Marine aircraft have joined in the U.S. effort for disaster relief in Haiti, Pentagon officials said on Tuesday.

The military is on station to support the U.S. Agency for International Development relief effort following the Aug. 14 earthquake. The military response is led by Rear Adm. Keith Davids, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command South.

Amphibious warship USS Arlington (LPD-24) has been off the coast of Haiti since earlier this week and is operating with the Spearhead-class fast transport USNS Burlington (T-EPF-10) and Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Billings (LCS-15).

The two ships were deployed to U.S. 4th Fleet to support the ongoing counter-narcotics operation in U.S. Southern Command.

“Burlington is utilizing its ScanEagle unmanned aerial system (UAS) to obtain aerial images of the destruction on the ground which helps relief planners determine where supplies are needed, what airfields can be used, and what roadways are accessible,” 4th Fleet said in a statement.

In addition, several Coast Guard cutters and aircraft are supporting the USAID operation.

Arlington embarked with Fleet Surgical Team (FST) 2 to buttress the ship’s existing medical staff, adding more surgery capability and an intensive care unit. Additionally, the ship embarked with a Landing Craft Utility and two MH-60S Knight Hawk helicopters.

“Four United States Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys arrived to provide additional options for personnel and supply movement. These air assets are in addition to the 18 U.S. military and Coast Guard aircraft already supporting humanitarian relief operations. U.S. maritime vessels continue support also,” Army Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor told Pentagon reporters on Tuesday.
“Over the last 24 hours, Joint Task Force Haiti conducted 56 missions, assisted in the saving of 40 lives and delivered more than 35,000 pounds of goods, supplies and medical supplies.”

As of Tuesday, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that centered on the southwestern Tiburon Peninsula has “killed at least 2,207 people, injured 12,268 and destroyed nearly 53,000 houses,” according to The Associated Press.

The U.S. response this time around is much smaller than the 2010 Navy and Marine Corps operation following an earthquake that killed 200,000 and destroyed much of Haiti’s capital, Port au Prince.

The Navy sent carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-71) – in addition to amphibious ships USS Bataan (LHD-5), USS Carter Hall (LSD-50), USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43), USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44), USS Nassau (LHA-4), USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19), and USS Ashland (LSD-48) – to support the three-month operation.

Last week, USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance assistant administrator Sarah Charles told reporters they did not expect the destruction to be on the same scale.

  ===================================================

Gangs in Haiti offer to help aid efforts; earthquake death toll rises to 2,207

Gangs have hijacked aid trucks and desperate crowds have scuffled over bags of food

The Associated Press · Posted: Aug 22, 2021 9:03 PM ET | Last Updated: August 23

The response to last week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti has been hampered by the ongoing economic and political crisis there, and experts say the future of the country remains uncertain.

A Haitian gang leader on Sunday offered a truce and help for communities shattered by a devastating earthquake — potentially offering a break for a relief effort that has been plagued by hijacked aid trucks and disorder.

The offer came as many Haitians resumed services in or outside damaged churches, sometimes for the first time since the magnitude 7.2 quake of Aug. 14. The country’s Civil Protection Agency also raised toll of dead to 2,207.

It wasn’t immediately clear how much impact the truce offer might have: While powerful, Jimmy Cherizier, alias “Barbecue,” is far from the only gang leader in Haiti and widely repeated social media reports of an earlier gang truce failed to prevent attacks on the expanding relief effort.

Gangs have blocked roads, hijacked aid trucks and stolen supplies, forcing relief workers to transport supplies by helicopter. In places, desperate crowds have scuffled over bags of food.

Cherizier addressed a Facebook video on Sunday to the hardest-hit parts of the Haiti’s southwestern peninsula, saying “We want to tell them that the G9 Revolutionary Forces and allies, all for one and one for all, sympathize with their pain and sorrows.”

“The G9 Revolutionary Forces and allies … will participate in the relief by bringing them help. We invite all compatriots to show solidarity with the victims by trying to share what little there is with them.”

The increase in the death toll was the first since late Wednesday when the government put it at 2,189. The government said Sunday that 344 people were still missing, 12,268 people were injured and nearly 53,000 houses were destroyed by the quake.

• Frustrations, violence flare in Haiti as earthquake survivors plead for aid

In Les Cayes, many attended church to mourn those lost and give thanks for their own survival.

At an evangelical church in the Bergeaud neighborhood, parishioners sang hymns under beams of sunlight streaming through holes in the roof and walls.

Pastor Sevrain Marc Dix Jonas, said Sunday’s service was special because until now his congregation had been unable to meet since the quake.

“Today was a must,” Dix Jonas said, standing below a gaping opening high in his church’s facade. “To thank God. He protected us. We did not die.”

His church was one of the few where congregants could worship inside. At many others, services were held in the street outside collapsed sanctuaries.

Taking that into account, the Roman Catholic church in Les Cayes moved its morning service to 6:30 a.m. to avoid the heat of day.

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A group of Haitian migrants was taken into federal custody after coming ashore Tuesday afternoon in South Florida, federal authorities said.

Federal officers and local law enforcement took 42 migrants into custody near Key Biscayne, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Patrol Agent Thomas Martin posted on social media.

Officials said they are investigating whether the group was smuggled to the United States. The vessel involved was seized.

Haiti’s southwestern peninsula was hit earlier this month by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, killing at least 2,200 people, injuring more than 12,000 others and destroying nearly 53,000 houses.

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