Taiwan actively promotes UN participation, calls for a UN that delivers for all

Taiwan actively promotes UN participation, calls for a UN that delivers for all

• Date：2026-09-02
• Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

September 2, 2026

No. 408

The 81st session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly will open on September 8 at the UN headquarters in New York. The General Debate will take place from September 22 to 26 and on September 28. The theme of this year's General Debate will be "Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All."

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Baushuan Ger held a special press conference on September 1 to communicate to the public the Taiwan government's 2026 campaign and strategy for promoting Taiwan's UN participation and to urge the UN to accept Taiwan's involvement at the earliest possible juncture.

Noting that Taiwan was an important and responsible member of the international community, Vice Minister Ger said that Taiwan not only faced the same global challenges encountered by other nations but was also confronted by China's ongoing and escalating threats across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the region.

Vice Minister Ger explained that Taiwan needed to participate in relevant multilateral mechanisms to protect its national interests and the rights of the 23.5 million Taiwanese people. More importantly, he said, over many years Taiwan had accumulated abundant experience and capabilities in addressing issues of common global concern. He stated that Taiwan was willing to share its know-how and contribute expertise through the UN system and other multilateral mechanisms so as to jointly advance global welfare.

Vice Minister Ger pointed out that the root cause of the exclusion of the 23.5 million people of Taiwan from the UN was China's distortion of the content of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and its efforts to conflate the resolution with the so-called "one China principle," falsely claiming that China represents Taiwan in the UN system. He said that China's actions were an attempt to legally negate the fact that the ROC (Taiwan) was a sovereign country and inappropriately deny Taiwan's legitimate right to participate in the UN system.

Vice Minister Ger stressed that in recent years China had continued to escalate its threatening behavior across the Taiwan Strait and broader Indo-Pacific region, employing such gray-zone tactics as military intimidation, cyberattacks, and economic coercion in an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and the region. Pointing out that in July China had implemented its Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, he said that China sought to use this domestic law to engage in transnational repression, which was a serious infringement of freedom, democracy, and human rights everywhere. In response, he observed, the United States, the European Union, Australia, and other members of the international community had expressed a high level of concern. In the face of the dynamic regional situation, the Taiwan government would staunchly maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, safeguard the nation's sovereignty and security, and continue to work with allies and like-minded nations to defend the front lines of freedom and democracy while steadily and pragmatically promoting Taiwan's participation in international organizations.

This year, Taiwan's UN campaign is focusing on three key aspects:

1. Drawing attention to the fact that UNGA Resolution 2758 only addressed China's right to representation within the United Nations. The resolution neither dealt with Taiwan's sovereignty nor precluded Taiwan's meaningful participation in the UN system. The UN Should identify appropriate ways of including Taiwan's participation in the UN system so that Taiwan can contribute its expertise and experience to help accelerate the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

2. Firmly maintaining the status quo and ensuring peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. This is the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan and the widely held and staunch position of the international community. It has also received extensive support among Taiwan's democratic partners. Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are indispensable to global security and prosperity.

3. Committing to the peaceful settlement of disputes and staunchly defending the international legal order. Any attempts or actions to disrupt the status quo across the Taiwan Strait contravene the principles enshrined in the UN Charter prohibiting the threat or use of force and requiring the peaceful settlement of disputes.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) this year would again request that diplomatic allies' permanent representatives to the UN send a joint letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and that diplomatic allies speak up for Taiwan during the General Debate. The joint letter would strongly promote the three points outlined above.

Moreover, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung would publish an op-ed entitled "Restoring trust: Taiwan's rightful place in the free world" to communicate the Taiwan government's stance to the world. The op-ed would underline that only by following the principles set out in the UN Charter and treating every member of the international community in a fair and just manner could the UN win back the international community's confidence.

Vice Minister Ger went on to thank the Legislative Yuan for once again organizing a cross-party delegation of legislators to travel to New York to impart to the UN community the steadfast support of the people of Taiwan for the government's bid to participate in the UN system. He also mentioned that MOFA would host related side events and conduct a promotional campaign in New York while the General Assembly was in session.

Located along the Indo-Pacific's first island chain, Taiwan is a key hub for global semiconductor supply chains. Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are integral to global well-being. Taiwan is also an indispensable and vital force in the UN's efforts to manage transformation. The government of Taiwan once again calls on the UN system to recognize the legitimate right of the 23.5 million people of Taiwan to participate in international affairs and to promptly seek appropriate ways to include Taiwan. Only in this way can the UN truly realize its commitment to leave no one behind and being a UN that delivers for all. (E)