For Immediate Release
Washington DC – September 13, 2011
Contact: (202) 547-3686
U.S. Congressmen Express Support Of Full Membership For Taiwan In United Nations
Lawmakers Introduce the Resolution on the Same Day as the Opening of UN General Assembly
As the annual session of the General Assembly of the United Nations kicked off in New York today, several congressmen including Reps. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Joe Barton (R-TX), Heath Shuler (D-NC), Mike Coffman (R-CO), Dan Burton (R-IN), Kenny Marchant (R-TX) and Sue Myrick (R-NC) and Billy Long (R-MO) introduced resolution H.Con.Res.77 calling for Taiwan’s full membership in the United Nations.
Several resolutions in support of full UN membership for Taiwan have been introduced in and passed by the United States Congress in the past two decades. In addition, the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act states: “”Nothing in this Act may be construed as a basis for supporting the exclusion or expulsion of Taiwan from continued membership in any international financial institution or any other international organization.”
Taiwan today continues to face obstacles in joining any international organizations even though it has proved to be a responsible member of the global community with a strong record on human rights, humanitarian aid and health care.
“Taiwan continues to be excluded from the UN despite a vibrant democracy, a population of 23 million and significant contributions to the world,” says Bob Yang, the President of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs. “As a result, Taiwan is unable to fully participate in and contribute its vast resources to global institutions such as the World Health Organization and is forced to enter international competitions under the name ‘Chinese Taipei’ even though the vast majority of Taiwan’s citizens consider themselves Taiwanese.”
“The fact that this resolution is introduced on the same day the UN General Assembly opens its annual session is very symbolic, and we want to remind the international community that Taiwan’s membership in the UN is not only beneficial to the people of Taiwan, but also to the rest of the world,”” Yang adds.
美國國會眾議員表達對台灣入聯的支持
眾議員於聯大開幕同日提出法案
位於紐約的聯合國在今日召開了年度的會員大會，而數位美國眾議員，包括紐澤西州共和黨蓋瑞特議員（Scott Garrett, R-NJ）、德州共和黨巴頓議員（Joe Barton, R-TX）、北卡羅萊納州民主黨舒勒議員（Heath Shuler, D-NC）、科羅拉多州共和黨柯夫曼議員（Mike Coffman, R-CO）、印第安那州共和黨柏頓議員（Dan Burton, R-IN）、德州共和黨馬強特（Kenny Marchant, R-TX）、北卡羅萊納州共和黨邁里克議員（Myrick, R-NC），及密蘇里州共和黨隆議員（Billy Long, R-MO）也在同一天，共同提案呼籲支持台灣加入聯合國。
在過去的20年以來，美國國會提出並通過數個支持台灣以完整會員資格加入聯合國的提案。除此之外，1979年制定的台灣關係法並聲明：「本法律任何條款均不得被解釋為，美國支持把臺灣排除或驅逐出任何國際金融機構或其他國際組織。」台灣今日仍舊在國際參與上面臨困難，即使她已證明自己是國際社會中，擁有良好人權、人道救援及健保紀錄，負責任的一員。
台灣人公共事務會楊英育會長表示：「擁有2,300萬人民的台灣，即便有著充滿活力的民主及對世界作出重要的貢獻，仍舊被聯合國排除在外。也因如此，台灣無法完全參與並貢獻其豐富的資源於全球性機構，如: 世界衛生組織。台灣也被迫使用『中華台北』這樣的名稱來參與國際性競賽，即使大部分的台灣民眾視自己為台灣人。」
他並補充：「選擇在聯合國開議的同一天提出此提案十分具象徵意義。我們想要提醒國際社會，台灣加入聯合國不僅僅是對台灣人民有益，也對全世界有益。」
H.Con.Res.77
