Taiwan attends virtual religious freedom ministerial hosted in Warsaw

2020/11/19

Taiwan took part in the virtual 2020 Ministerial to Advance Freedom of Religion or Belief hosted by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nov. 16-17 from Warsaw, spotlighting its commitment to working with like-minded partners in advancing human rights around the world.
 
 According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this marks the third time that Taiwan has been invited to take part in the event. The country was represented by Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu; Hsiao Bi-khim, head of Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S.; and Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom Pusin Tali.
 
 During his remarks on the first day of the event, Wu said the world has seen rapid erosion of religious freedom under authoritarian regimes over the past few years, citing unspeakable horrors experienced by Muslims in Xinjiang as an example.
 
 Meanwhile religious freedom in Taiwan is enshrined in the Constitution, the minister said, adding that the country stands shoulder to shoulder with like-minded partners to defend freedom of belief and help victims of intolerance.
 
 To underscore Taiwan’s unwavering commitment to protecting human rights, Wu said the government is planning to hold another regional forum on securing religious freedom next year. “In times of difficulty, we must choose solidarity,” he added.
 
 Launched in 2018 by the U.S. Department of State, the ministerial aims to promote human rights development around the world by speaking for religious minorities facing persecution. The first two gatherings were staged in Washington, according to the MOFA.

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