Transportation minister, TECO chief make case for ICAO participation

2016/09/26

Minister of Transportation and Communications Ho Chen Tan outlined the case for Taiwan’s participation in the upcoming 39th International Civil Aviation Organization Assembly meeting taking place in Montreal Sept. 27 to Oct. 7 in an online article published by U.S. magazine The National Interest.

“For over four decades, Taiwan’s civil aviation authorities, whether in terms of effort or investment, have outdone their counterparts in many other countries in striving to meet flight safety and security regulations set by ICAO,” Ho Chen said in the piece published Sept. 19 titled “Why the International Community Should Support Taiwan’s Participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization.”

“Air safety, navigation, security, environmental protection, and economic matters are of great concern to ICAO, and related challenges must be tackled through close cooperation among all countries,” the minister said. “As such, Taiwan’s meaningful participation in ICAO is a necessity.”

In the article, Ho Chen thanked the U.S., European nations and other friendly countries for their support over the years, which helped enable Taiwan to attend the 38th ICAO Assembly in 2013. The nation should continue participating in the U.N. specialized agency’s meetings, mechanisms and activities in a professional and constructive manner, he said.

Catherine Hsu, director-general of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Toronto, Canada, echoed these sentiments in a piece titled “Taiwan, too” published by Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail Sept. 21. The director-general pointed out that, in addition to matters regarding air safety and security, efforts to fight climate change will be discussed at the assembly as well.

Talks will be held over whether to finalize an agreement on capping emissions in the aviation industry, Hsu said, adding that ensuring “a safe and pollution-free sky should be a team effort; no part of the world should be excluded.”

The Taipei Flight Information Region, solely administered by Taiwan, provided over 1.53 million instances of air traffic control services and handled 58 million incoming and outgoing passengers in 2015, illustrating the nation’s significant role in the global transportation network.

The National Interest is a bimonthly magazine in Washington, D. C. focusing on international affairs and foreign policy, as well as economic and military issues. The Globe and Mail based in Toronto is one of the most influential newspapers in Canada.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=248131&ctNode=2194&mp=9)