US House Resolution: "Taiwan into the UN"

On Tuesday, 29 July 1997, U.S. Congressmen Solomon (R-NY) and Tom Lantos (D-CA) introduced a Resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives in support of Taiwan's membership in the United Nations. Below is the text of the most important considerations as well as the operative part of this Resolution.

Taiwan's participation in the United Nations

H. CON. RES. 132

(Introduced in the House of Representatives) H.CON. RES 132, 105th CONGRESS, 1st Session

Mr. SOLOMON (for himself and Mr. LANTOS) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations.

Whereas Taiwan has the 19th largest gross national product in the world, a strong and vibrant economy, and one of the largest foreign exchange reserves of any nation;

Whereas Taiwan has dramatically improved its record on human rights and routinely holds free and fair elections in a multiparty system, as evidenced most recently by the March 1996 presidential election and the December 1995 parliamentary elections;

Whereas the 21 million people in Taiwan have not been represented in the United Nations since 1971 and their human rights as citizens of the world have therefore been severely abridged;

Whereas Taiwan has in recent years repeatedly expressed its strong desire to participate in the United Nations;

Whereas Taiwan has much to contribute to the work and funding of the United Nations;

Whereas Taiwan has demonstrated its commitment to the world community by responding to international disasters and crises such as environmental destruction in the Persian Gulf and famine in Rwanda by providing financial donations, medical assistance, and other forms of aid;

Whereas the world community has reacted positively to Taiwan's desire for international participation, as shown by Taiwan's continued membership in the Asian Development Bank, the admission of Taiwan into the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group as a full member, and the accession of Taiwan as an observer at the World Trade Organization as the first step toward becoming a contracting party to that organization;

Whereas the United States has supported Taiwan's participation in these bodies and indicated, in its policy review of September 1994, a stronger and more active policy of support for Taiwan's participation in other international organizations;

Whereas in 1996 the European Parliament passed, and the United States House of Representatives endorsed, a resolution urging support for Taiwan's attempts to secure better representation in international organizations;

Whereas Taiwan has repeatedly stated that its participation in international organizations is one of parallel representation without prejudice to the current status of Mainland China in the international community and does not represent a challenge to that status;

Whereas the United Nations and other international organizations have established precedents concerning parallel representation, such as the cases of South Korea and North Korea and the former two Germanies; and

Whereas the decision of the United States to establish diplomatic relations with Mainland China, as expressed in the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96-8), is based `upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means';

Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--

  1. Taiwan deserves full participation, including a seat, in the United Nations and its related agencies; and
  2. the Government of the United States should immediately encourage the United Nations to take action by considering the unique situation of Taiwan in the international community and adopting a comprehensive solution to accommodate Taiwan in the United Nations and its related agencies.
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