Premier Su Tseng-chang on Thursday received a Council of Agriculture briefing on a plan to address human rights in the fishery industry. The government will invest over NT$2 billion (US$68.5 million) to implement this plan, the premier said. It will tackle the issue via the improvement of fishing crew rights, onboard facilities and onshore facilities, as well as amend legal frameworks, upgrade supervision capabilities and strengthen intermediary management.

Taiwan has become one of the founding members of the U.S.-led Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum, underscoring the government’s commitment to working with like-minded partners to promote trusted global data flows and privacy protection, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs April 21.

Considering the need for and right to family reunions of R.O.C. (Taiwan) nationals and Alien Resident Certificate holders residing in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), in coordination with other government agencies, announces that starting today, April 12, foreign relatives of R.O.C. (Taiwan) nationals and valid Alien Resident Certificate holders residing in Taiwan may apply to enter Taiwan.

Taiwan co-founded the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement March 29, joining fellow members New Zealand, Canada and Australia in promoting regional tie-ups based on shared cultural and ethnic heritage.

A Love from Taiwan donation of 50 oxygen concentrators and 2,000 N95 surgical masks touched down March 27 in Bhutan, underscoring the government’s commitment to strengthening the New Southbound Policy target country’s COVID-19 response.

On March 28, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that it will enhance epidemic prevention measures for certain leisure and entertainment venues and maintain the current mask mandate and other preventive measures from April 1 to April 31, after analyzing the current COVID-19 situation, to maintain the disease prevention capacity, bring social and economic activity back to normal and efficiently manage associated risks. Details about related regulations are listed below.

A virtual workshop on combating digital crime was staged by Taiwan, Australia, Japan, the U.S. and Slovakia under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework March 22 from Taipei City.

The government is committed to safeguarding Taiwan’s sovereignty and democratic way of life by enhancing defensive capabilities while seeking to take part in regional trade groupings such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said.

A webinar on climate justice was staged March 15 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bringing together female leaders from home and abroad to share their insights on combating climate change.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the nongovernmental organization (NGO) the Foundation of Women’s Rights Promotion and Development (FWRPD) are jointly holding Taiwan Gender Equality Week (TGEW) for a third year running. The timing of the program again corresponds with the annual meeting in March of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).