Taiwan has gained wider support for its efforts to participate in the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), despite again failing to obtain an invitation to attend its annual meeting this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Saturday.
The 90th Interpol General Assembly was held Oct. 18-21 in New Delhi, India, featuring chiefs of police and senior officials from its 195 members around the world addressing global policing issues.
This year, more than 1,375 executive agencies, parliaments, international parliamentary groups and political heavyweights from 50 countries have voiced their support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in Interpol, the ministry said.
They included 10 of Taiwan’s 14 diplomatic allies, which showed their support by writing letters, speaking out, issuing statements or voicing their support on social media, according to MOFA.
The allies emphasized that only when Taiwan is admitted to Interpol can global concerted efforts to crack down on cross-border crimes and take on threats and challenges faced by the world be fully effective, MOFA said.
Amanda Milling, the U.K. minister of state for Asia under the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Netherlands’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra also publicly advocated for Taiwan’s Interpol participation, the ministry said.
In addition, the diplomatic missions stationed in Taiwan by the United States, Japan and Australia expressed support on their Facebook pages for Taipei’s participation in Interpol or shared short films made by Taiwan to solicit international support.
Parliaments in the Marshall Islands and Czech Republic, the Wallonian Parliament of Belgian, 16 state congresses in the U.S. and the U.S. Council of State Governments’ Eastern Regional Conference (CSG/ERC) approved resolutions to support Taiwan’s participation in Interpol, MOFA said.
Gerald Connolly, co-chair of the U.S. Congressional Taiwan Caucus and Republican Representative John Curtis wrote a joint letter urging the U.S. executive branch to help Taiwan join Interpol, while many lawmakers from Canada and South Korea also voiced their support, MOFA added.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), an international cross-party group of legislators, and the European Parliament also joined the growing list of Taiwan supporters, saying they would be glad to see Taipei’s participation in international organizations, MOFA said.
The ministry said Taiwan is deeply encouraged by and grateful for the support from those countries, organizations and individuals, recognizing as they do Taipei as a stakeholder able to make a great contribution to the world.
As part of international law enforcement efforts to make the world safer, Taiwan urged Interpol to pay close attention to the support for Taipei’s participation in the organization and accept Taiwan as one of its members as soon as possible, MOFA said.
The Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) joined Interpol in 1961 but was forced to withdraw in 1984 after the entry of the People’s Republic of China. Its participation has been blocked since then under a resolution passed at Interpol’s 53rd General Assembly the same year.
Taiwan has sought to take part in Interpol’s General Assembly as an observer since 2016, but repeated attempts to secure an invitation have been to no avail.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel