The Executive Yuan yesterday published Taiwan’s third national report on the implementation of two international human rights covenants, touting milestones set over the past four years, including the decriminalization of adultery and legalization of same-sex marriage.
The UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights state that member states should submit a national report on the implementation of each covenant every four years.
Taiwan ratified the two covenants in 2009 and then passed legislation to make them part of domestic law.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The latest report documents human rights efforts made by the government, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said.
For example, it has been one year since same-sex marriage was legalized, and although many expressed concerns over the legalization one year ago, polls show that more than half of Taiwanese now support equal marriage rights, Su said.
The government has also established national human rights parks, he said, in an apparent reference to the Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park (白色恐怖景美紀念園區) in New Taipei City and the Green Island White Terror Memorial Park (白色恐怖綠島紀念園區), which commemorate Martial Law era victims.
Yesterday was the first time the report was published under the name of the Executive Yuan. Previously the reports were submitted by the Presidential Office’s Human Rights Consultative Committee, which stopped operating on May 19, after the Organic Act of the Control Yuan National Human Rights Commission (監察院國家人權委員會組織法) took effect on May 1.
To promote “the right to adequate standard of housing,” the Ministry of the Interior has completed national housing projects and their budgeting, as well as promoted the registration of the actual selling prices of real estate, so that house buyers can view transparent details of the transactions, Executive Yuan Human Rights Protection and Promotion Committee convener Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said.
The Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) has been expanded to include resident doctors in its protection, while the Labor Dispute Act (勞動事件法), which took effect in January, safeguards the rights of parties in labor-management litigations, he said.
Fishers have enhanced protection now under the Regulations on the Authorization and Management of Overseas Employment of Foreign Crew Members (境外僱用非我國籍船員許可及管理辦法), he said.
The government plans to make several other international human rights pacts part of domestic law, and it is to introduce more action plans on Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, he added.
Additional reporting by CNA
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