INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT BY H.E. MR.CRISPIN GREY-JOHNSON PERMANENT
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GAMBIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS 11th SEPTEMBER
2002
Mr. President,
I should first congratulate you most warmly on your
election to the high office of President of the General Assembly at
its 57th session. My delegation is honoured to have been elected as
one of your vice-presidents, and I seize this opportunity to assure
you, Mr. President, of our full readiness to cooperate with you and
other members of the Bureau, in the discharge of your responsibility
to the membership of this august body, and to humanity at large.
Let me also congratulate your predecessor, H.E. Dr.
Han Seung-soo, and the outgoing bureau for the excellenct manner in
which they conducted the affairs of the 56th Session.
I should now wish to request you, in accordance with
Rule 14 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly, to include
in the Agenda of the 57th Session, a supplementary item entitled,
"Question of the Representation of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
in the United Nations". I make this request on behalf of the following
member states:
as well as on The Gambia's own behalf.
In accordance with Rule 20 of the Rules of Procedure, I invite reference
to General Assembly document A/57/191 of 8th August 2002, letter dated
1August 2002 signed by the afore-mention Member States to the Secretary-General
on the issues; an explanatory memorandum attached to it in Annex 1;
and a draft resolution for your consideration in Annex II.
Mr. President,
The letter in question and its attachments simply request that you
include a supplementary item on the question of the representation
of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the United Nations, on the Agenda
of the 57th session of the General Assembly, which has just begun.
I am sure you will see no difficulty in acceding to this request,
especially in light of the more than cogent reasons advanced in the
Explanatory Memorandum, to justify your doing so.
What the Explanatory Memorandum sets out to do, is to show justification,
why the world should not pretend that a political, economic, social,
cultural and state entity, the Republic of China does not exist. Put
another way, the Memorandum demonstrates that, in matters serving
their interests and their needs, countries of the world very much
recognize the existence of the Republic of China, Taiwan. They trade
with it; they maintain strong transport and communication linkages
with it; they invest capital in its industrial production systems;
they do business with its financial systems and participate in its
stock market; they contribute to, and benefit from its highly advanced
scientific and industrial R&D activities, including medical and pharmaceutical
R&D; they acknowledge it as a leader in information and communication
tecnology. In all these fields of endeavour, the whole world – no
country excluded – interacts directly or indirectly with the Republic
of China, Taiwan, as an entity that does exist - in all these fields,
except one – the politico-diplomatic.
It is thanks to its highly developed democratic political and governance
system, its respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, its
ability to create the political conditions that have freed the space
for its people to be inventive and innovative, and its ability to
maintain cordial and peaceful relations with all partner nations,
big and small, rich and poor,...it is thanks to all those attributes,
that the world can today, benefit from the many good things Taiwan
offers.
Mr. President,
I am sure everyone willl agree with me that our organisation's failure
to recognize and bring into its fold, the Republic of China, Taiwan
as a fully-fledged state entity, a bona fide member of the United
Nations family and the comity of nations, is a grave anomaly. The
time has come for us to correct this anomaly. And it should be at
this 57th Session that we should do so.
Mr. President,
The United Nations is not a mere diplomatic club. Serious matters
that affect the whole world and the future generations yet unborn
are decided upon at this world forum. All nations and all state entities
must be part of the decisions taken on the fate and future of the
whole world, much more so, those state entities whose activities fashion
the way mankind's future unfolds.
Mr. President,
All nations of the world were assembled in Johanneseburge, South
Africa, just a few days ago, to deliberate on the earth's sustainable
development. A major industrial nation like the Republic of China,
Taiwan, whose development activities eminently qualify it to contribute
to the world's quest for sustainability, was the only country on earth
that was barred from participating in that all-important world gathering.
Before that meeting, the other major UN conferences had been convened
this year, on food, children and development financing, all areas
in which most nations of the world could take a leaf from the Republic
of China's experiences. On those occasions, Taiwan was the only country
that was not allowed participation, as if to say that as an entity,
those 23 million hard-working contributors to the world's prosperity
and stability, who constitute Taiwan's population, do not exist.
Yet , another principle on which the strength of the United Nations
lies, is the principle of the universality. By that principle, the
United Nations' mission is firmly anchored in "... fundamental human
rights, in the dignity and worth of human persons, in the equal rights
of men and women and of nations large and small". In this twenty-first
century era of rapid and unstoppable globalization, that principle
of universality takes on an even important and solemn meaning.
Health scourges know no borders, the ozone layer covers all nations,
and terrorism uses the whole world as its sanctuary. Because issues
and problems have become universalized, so also should reflection,
the search for solutions, and action. No nation can be left out of
the global system of governance, or not be held up to certain standards
of international behaviour and practice, in accordance with benchmarks
and norms set by the United Nations. How can a nation like the Republic
of China , Taiwan, which is very much a major economic, technological
and financial player on the whole stage, be held to account, when
it is not even part of that universal body to which in certain core
matters, all nations must render account?
Mr. President,
Each year, for many years now, we come to the General Committee to
rationally argue the case for something to be done to take the legitimate
question of the Republic of China, Taiwan, to the General Assembly.
Each year, unrealistic arguments based solely on political considerations
are based to counter our effort. Even political arm-twisting tactics
are used to rally opposition to our cause. This year, we ask that
we be pragmatic. Pretending that Taiwan does not exist will not make
those 23 million people, or their production systems, or their contributions
the to world trade, or their achievements in science and technology,
go away. We have to be realistic. Taiwan IS part of the world. Let
us recognize that fact and formally allow this great nation to make
its rightful contributions to the peace, security, stability and development
of the whole world by taking the seat reserved for it at the United
Nations.
Mr. President,
We do have precedents to go by: for decades, the former East and
West Germanys each held a seat at the United Nations, so do the two
Koreas today. And while we do respect the one-China principle, I am
sure that seating the Republic of China (Taiwan) at the General Assembly,
would be one positive step in the process of getting the international
community to contribute to the realization of that objective.
Mr President,
I urge you to comply fully with our request, the Question of the
Representation of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the United Nations
be included as a supplementary item in the agenda of the 57th Session
of the General Assembly.
I thank you.