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* UN should take action to de-escalate tensions not only across Taiwan Strait but also in South China Sea4
http://www.hsvg.org/ Guahan Global Foundation
Guahan Global Foundation P.O. Box 206, Hagatna, GU 96932, USA
(November 15, 2024)Urge worldwide action to save the Pacific Lots of evidence recently suggested that islanders’ voices on climate action have finally been heard and brought to the global stage. We look forward to seeing leaders, experts, and activists from the Pacific community move further at the 29th United Nations Climate Conference, commonly referred to as COP29 and now happening in Azerbaijan, to facilitate more significant worldwide climate action to protect those on the frontlines.   Many people must have noticed that the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a rare appearance at the opening of 2024 Pacific Islands Forum in August. According to UN’s press release, he declared in the opening remarks that “plastic pollution is chocking sealife. Greenhouse gases are causing ocean heating, acidification and rising seas. But Pacific islanders are showing the way to protect our climate, our planet and our ocean.”   Mr. Guterres stressed that the region urgently needs more financial support, capacities and technology to speed up the transition to clean energy and so countries can invest in adaption and resilience.   He also added, while the Pacific region is doing what it can, the Group of 20 (G20) most industrialized nations – the biggest emitters of carbon – must step up and lead by phasing the production and consumption of fossil fuels and stopping their expansion immediately.   “If we save the Pacific, we save the world,” the UN chief said.   The UN also released two reports on the sidelines of the forum. A regional report compiled by the World Meteorological Organization showed sea-surface temperatures in the south-west Pacific have risen three times faster than the global average since 1980. It also found that marine heatwaves in the region had roughly doubled in frequency since 1980 and become more intense and longer-lasting.   In addition, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded in 2021 that the global mean sea level was rising at rates unprecedented in at least the last 3,000 years as a result of human-induced global warming. And, the new UN report titled “Surging Seas in a Warming World” indicated “emerging research on climate ‘tipping points’ and ice sheet dynamics is raising alarm among scientists that future sea-level rise could be much larger and occur sooner than previously thought.”   The Pacific Islands Forum leaders eventually issued an official communique that emphasized “climate change continues to be a matter of priority to the Pacific region” and recognized “sea level rise is a sever manifestation of climate change that threatens Pacific communities.” Accordingly, leaders agreed to elevate the issue of sea level rise “politically,” including at the UN General Assembly.   2024 UN General Assembly in September literally arranged a high level plenary meeting on sea level rise. Leaders and experts recognized in the meeting that the existential threats, for example, livelihoods are destroyed, families gradually move, community cohesion is tested, and heritage is lost, are the hard realities many people in small island states and low-lying countries experience today, not the projections of a coming future. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres therefore called for a strong financial outcome at COP29 to cope with threats caused by sea level rise.   Regarding financial outcome at COP29, it is worth noticing that this year’s conference is actually being called the “finance COP.” Following the historic agreement of creating a loss and damage fund at COP27 to compensate climate-vulnerable countries, COP28 has officially launched the fund. The finer details will be figured out at COP29 before the money actually starts flowing to nations in need next year.   Countries will also need to agree with a new global climate finance goal, known as the New Collective Quantified Goal. In addition to its total figure, COP29 will see discussion on several important terms of the NCQG, including who the donor base and recipients will be, how much will come from public and private sources, and whether it will be in the form of grants or loans.   As a member of the Pacific community, our foundation certainly looks forward to a global financial mechanism helping all Pacific islands’ climate mitigation and adaptation. However, we, together with many climate experts, also want to remind the world that the Nationally Determined Contributions, which outlines how a country will curb emissions, must be renewed every five years under Paris Agreement and the next round due is February 2025. So, COP29 is a crucial moment for countries to raise the bar and hold each other to account.   Nonprofit organization Climate Group also declared at its Climate Week NYC, taking place during the UN General Assembly in September, that the urgent and concrete action is needed to address the emission gap between what scientists say is needed to avoid disastrous climate change and what governments and business are delivered. They therefore called for governments, businesses, and the global climate community to focus on bolder annual to-do lists of climate action.   Their first Global To-Do List that governments and businesses can start taking action to drive results in the next twelve months consists of seven items including support workers to power down coal, unleash renewables, ban relining of coal-based steel furnaces, get serious on methane, stop ignoring energy efficiency, buy clean, and tax fossil fuels to fund the transition.   The UN chief Antonio Guterres actually also warned at the Pacific Islands Forum that the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – built around the 17 goals or SDGs – “is faltering.” Climate Group also reminded the world that we have Net Zero carbon emissions milestone to be accomplished by 2050 as well. The representatives of Pacific islands must make sure that COP29 focuses on what the whole world needs to do right now to get on track.   http://www.hsvg.org/hot_503561.html *Urge worldwide action to save the Pacific 2024-11-17 2025-11-17
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Home ﹥ News > News > * UN should take action to de-escalate tensions not only across Taiwan Strait but also in South China Sea

UN should take action to de-escalate tensions not only across Taiwan Strait but also in South China Sea

Guahan Global Foundation recently noticed that op-ed articles written by Taiwan Foreign Minister Chia-lung Lin and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Guam Director General Chia-ping Liu were published in newspapers in Guam and Northern Mariana Islands. We agree that all attempts to distort United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 must be stopped. We also urge the UN to take action to de-escalate tensions not only across Taiwan Strait but also in South China Sea.

 

The United States is now celebrating the 45th anniversary of the enactment of Taiwan Relations Act. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) therefore introduced a resolution in the U.S. Senate in April to recognize the deep and dynamic U.S. – Taiwan partnership. The resolution has also mentioned that the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2758 in 1971, which did not address Taiwan’s political status or the issue of Taiwan’s representation in the UN. However, the People’s Republic of China continues to falsely assert that UNGA Resolution 2758 ‘‘resolved, politically, legally and procedurally, the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the United Nations and international institutions.”

 

During a discussion at the German Marshall Fund at the end of April, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Mark Lambert actually said the world needs to oppose China’s distortion of UNGA Resolution 2758, which wrongly justifies China’s claim over Taiwan. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell also criticized during a US House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing last week that China is using UNGA Resolution 2758 “to make the argument that somehow Taiwan’s status is illegitimate.”

 

We want to point out that “One China Policy” is only existing on paper. Taiwan is never being part of the PRC. We can tell China’s action is seeking to unilaterally change the Taiwan Strait status quo. It is going to gravely threaten stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

 

We also want to remind the world that PRC’s expansionism is very true. Beijing is not only using the distortion of UNGA Resolution 2758 trying to create false narrative across Taiwan Strait. It is also encroaching Philippines’ lawful rights in the South China Sea.

 

The ongoing maritime dispute between China and the Philippines has been continuously escalating over the years with more vessel collisions, scuffles, and allegations of armed threats. Filipino fishermen were often treated with China’s water cannons. The incidents of “big vessels versus small vessels” frequently resulted in injuries while fishing with a small boat is usually the only way many Filipino families support their living.

 

However, it is worth noticing China’s influence in economy is still bringing some countries the difficulty to make their choice between economy and national security. Much like the Philippines, the Federated States of Micronesia, where an embassy of the PRC is established, is struggling with this issue, too.


The UN Charter clearly states that the purpose and the principles of the UN are to maintain international peace and security. International disputes should be resolved by peaceful means. While the 79th session of the UN General Assembly is taking place now in New York, we call on the UN to reject the wrong interpretation of UNGA Resolution 2758 over Taiwan. We also urge the UN to take action to de-escalate tensions in South China Sea.


(Press release | September 23, 2024)

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