The first meeting of the New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Taiwan took place in a conference room of the parliamentary building on the evening of March 29. Twenty-two parliamentarians from various parties joined the newly formed APPG, including the four major ones—Labour, National, Green, and ACT.

Control Yuan President Chen Chu, Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang and Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States head Hsiao Bi-khim highlighted Taiwan’s commitment to deepening global democratic resilience during the Summit for Democracy 2023.

The Cabinet on Thursday approved draft amendments to the Human Trafficking Prevention Act, which will enhance law enforcement’s ability to disrupt criminal organizations engaged in exploitation, modern slavery, victim-based crime and other new forms of human trafficking, and strengthen victims’ rights protections. The proposed amendments will now be submitted to the Legislative Yuan for deliberation.

The Executive Yuan’s Department of Gender Equality is delighted to report that Taiwan has ranked second in its first ever inclusion in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI), placing behind only Belgium in the 2023 edition of the index, which surveyed 179 countries and territories.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has taken note that in San Diego, USA, on March 13, the leaders of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States jointly announced plans to advance AUKUS—the security partnership linking the three countries—as well as a concrete pathway for AUKUS to provide step-by-step support for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines. MOFA welcomes the steady advancement of AUKUS.

Taiwan Gender Equality Week wrapped up March 9 in New York City with a seminar titled “Promoting Gender Equality in the Digital Age,” according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Taiwan is committed to working with like-minded partners such as Australia to ensure prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific, according to Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu.

Taiwan Night: Celebrating Women in Tech was staged March 7 in New York City in the lead up to the International Women’s Day, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Kaohsiung Port Terminal and Cruise Service Center opened March 6 as part of public and private sector efforts to expand the southern Taiwan city’s potential as a transportation and tourism hub in Asia.

A fire broke out at the Plumpang fuel storage depot, operated by Indonesian state-owned energy company Pertamina, in North Jakarta on the evening of March 3. The fire caused an explosion and spread to nearby residential areas, claiming the lives of at least 17 people and injuring over 50 more.