Taiwan’s achievements in promoting sustainable development among diplomatic allies and like-minded partners around the globe were spotlighted by Timothy T. Y. Hsiang, secretary-general of International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), at Columbia University Sept. 19 in New York.
 
Speaking at a dialogue titled “International Cooperation for Sustainable Development—An Asia Perspective,” Hsiang outlined collaborative initiatives by Taiwan’s foremost foreign aid organization in such areas as climate change, circular economy, disaster relief and mitigation, industrial development, medical care, waste management and water conservation.
 
Held at the university’s School of International and Public Affairs, the event was attended by some 100 students and hosted by Andre Correa d’Almeida, assistant director of SIPA’s Master of Public Administration Development Practice program.
 
Noting that Taiwan was an aid recipient in the 1950s and 1960s, Hsiang stressed the country’s steadfast commitment to giving back to the global community. TaiwanICDF projects tap the lessons of the country’s rapid economic and technological development and tailor them to local conditions, he said.
 
Examples of these efforts include using Taiwan’s expertise in geographic information systems to help diplomatic allies and partner nations strengthen environmental monitoring, climate risk assessment and disaster mitigation capabilities, Hsiang said. Such programs have aided Guatemala and Honduras in meeting their nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.
 
Hsiang also pointed to Taiwan’s collaborative initiatives with multilateral organizations, such as its partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank to expand access to funding for small and medium enterprises in diplomatic allies Haiti and Nicaragua.
 
The talk was part of a series of events under a campaign by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs themed U.N. Global Goals—Taiwan Can Help. This initiative aims to highlight Taiwan’s desire to participate in the U.N. system and merits as a valuable partner in promoting the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
 
Staged on the sidelines of the 73rd U.N. General Assembly, the campaign urges the global body to deliver equal treatment to Taiwan’s 23 million people and resolve the issue of the nation’s exclusion from the U.N. system; grant press accreditation to Taiwan journalists and allow unfettered access to U.N. premises for Taiwan passport holders; and include the country in SDG-related meetings, mechanisms and activities. (KWS-E)
 
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