Almost 70 years ago, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For the next few decades, this declaration together with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (the two Covenants) jointly formed the bedrock of international human rights.
Human rights of individuals were no longer seen as special privileges for the few, but the fundamental rights for all.
It is thus important that on this day we take stock of what we have achieved and remind ourselves of the difficulties of achieving such progress and the long road ahead to ensure the protection of human rights everywhere.
Democracy and human rights are embedded in the very fabric of our societies. In Taiwan, the progress of human rights in the last 30 years is nothing short of remarkable, underpinned by a vibrant civil society, a strong and empowered Legislative Yuan, as well as an independent judiciary and media.
Transition of power has taken place three times, smoothly and successfully. Taiwan has additionally incorporated the provisions of six of the UN’s nine main treaties on international human rights into its domestic law and it undertakes periodic voluntary reviews.
Just this year, Taiwan demonstrated again that it is the leader in Asia on LGBTI [lesbian gay bisexual transgender and intersex] human rights. These are achievements that Taiwan should be proud of.
However, we must not simply pat each other’s backs and be content with what we have achieved. There is a worrying discourse taking place around the world that challenges the universality of human rights and democracy.
Excuses are being made on why human rights should not be applicable to every human being. In places where human rights are established, there is a disturbing tendency to take past achievements for granted.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to and defense of every human being’s fundamental rights, and insistent in our belief that no roll-back can be allowed when it comes to human rights and our democratic institutions. We must not become complacent, but must take on the challenges we all still face.
In the past few years, we have seen clear achievements in Taiwan’s pursuit of better guarantees of human rights, but some concerns remain.
Earlier this year, a panel of international experts again reviewed Taiwan’s implementation of the two covenants. Many valuable recommendations were given by the panel, and we sincerely hope that the government will address the problems and challenges pointed out by the experts in good faith.
This of course includes the recommendation on banning all form of cruel and inhumane punishments, including the utmost form of corporal punishment, the death penalty.
On this International Human Rights Day, we hope that the task of continuing to perfect human rights protection can be sustained in both Taiwan and our societies.
Taiwan is a beacon of human rights in Asia, but we can all do better. We should all be ready to cooperate in order to improve human rights both at home and abroad, and be the defenders of human rights and fighters against bigotry, hatred and discrimination.
Catherine Raper, representative of the Australian Office; Albin Mauritz, director of the Austrian Office; Rik Van Droogenbroeck, director of the Belgian Office; Mario Ste-Marie, executive director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei; Vaclav Jilek, representative of the Czech Economic and Cultural Office; Nicholas Enersen, director of the Trade Council of Denmark, Taipei; Madeleine Majorenko, head of the European Economic and Trade Office; Jari Seilonen, representative of Finland’s Trade and Innovation Office; Benoit Guidee, director of the French Office; Martin Eberts, director-general of the German Institute; Donato Scioscioli, representative of the Italian Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion Office; Hugues Mignot, director of the Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office; Guy Wittich, representative of the Netherlands Trade and Investment Office; Maciej Gaca, director-general of the Warsaw Trade Office; Martin Podstavek, representative of the Slovak Economic and Cultural Office; Jose Luis Echaniz Cobas, director of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce; Henrik Persson, representative of the Swedish Trade and Invest Council; Rolf Frei, director of the Trade Office of Swiss Industries; Catherine Nettleton, representative of the British Office.
US President Donald Trump has gotten off to a head-spinning start in his foreign policy. He has pressured Denmark to cede Greenland to the United States, threatened to take over the Panama Canal, urged Canada to become the 51st US state, unilaterally renamed the Gulf of Mexico to “the Gulf of America” and announced plans for the United States to annex and administer Gaza. He has imposed and then suspended 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico for their roles in the flow of fentanyl into the United States, while at the same time increasing tariffs on China by 10
As an American living in Taiwan, I have to confess how impressed I have been over the years by the Chinese Communist Party’s wholehearted embrace of high-speed rail and electric vehicles, and this at a time when my own democratic country has chosen a leader openly committed to doing everything in his power to put obstacles in the way of sustainable energy across the board — and democracy to boot. It really does make me wonder: “Are those of us right who hold that democracy is the right way to go?” Has Taiwan made the wrong choice? Many in China obviously
US President Donald Trump last week announced plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on eight countries. As Taiwan, a key hub for semiconductor manufacturing, is among them, the policy would significantly affect the country. In response, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) dispatched two officials to the US for negotiations, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) board of directors convened its first-ever meeting in the US. Those developments highlight how the US’ unstable trade policies are posing a growing threat to Taiwan. Can the US truly gain an advantage in chip manufacturing by reversing trade liberalization? Is it realistic to
About 6.1 million couples tied the knot last year, down from 7.28 million in 2023 — a drop of more than 20 percent, data from the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs showed. That is more serious than the precipitous drop of 12.2 percent in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the saying goes, a single leaf reveals an entire autumn. The decline in marriages reveals problems in China’s economic development, painting a dismal picture of the nation’s future. A giant question mark hangs over economic data that Beijing releases due to a lack of clarity, freedom of the press
RSS