MOFA stages human rights workshop

2019/10/30

A workshop highlighting Taiwan’s leading role in human rights policymaking wrapped up Oct. 28 in Taipei City, underscoring the government’s commitment to protecting the inalienable values.
 
 Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the one-day event was attended by more than 100 local experts, government officials and representatives of nongovernmental organizations.
 
 In his opening remarks, MOFA Deputy Minister Hsu Szu-chien said Taiwan is a leading country in championing human rights, citing the milestone legalization of same-sex marriage in May and the 26th-place ranking in U.S.-based NGO Freedom House’s latest Freedom in the World report.
 
 The government will continue working with all segments of society to ensure people’s rights are protected, he said, adding that Taiwan would explore ways to leverage its successful experiences to help other countries around the world.
 
 Another highlight of the workshop was a keynote speech by Debbie Stothard, recently departed secretary-general of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).
 
 The activist said despite the ongoing campaign of suppression by China, Taiwan is continuing to garner international recognition for its commitment to universal human rights. The government should organize more events such as the workshop to cement the country’s status as a leader in the field, she added.
 
 Established in 1922 and headquartered in Paris, FIDH is an international NGO federating 184 member organizations from 112 countries and territories that aims to defend civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Earlier in the month, the NGO held its 40th congress in Taipei—the first time the triennial event has been staged in Asia.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)