Taipei, Nov. 20 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Thursday that the protection of human rights will be one of the priorities to be addressed in formulating a new constitution for Taiwan.
Chen made the remarks while meeting with a delegation of legal experts from the Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists (ICJ).
Noting that human rights are universal values, Chen said the ROC's current Constitution is insufficient to protect the basic human rights of the people of Taiwan. "Our current Constitution only designates 14 kinds of human rights for protection, which is quite a disparity from modern, mainstream constitutional standards," Chen said. "And this is part of the reason behind my advocacy of writing a new constitution that fits Taiwan's present reality and meets its practical needs."
In his 2000 inaugural speech, Chen said he outlined three key principles regarding his human rights policy -- pushing the legislature to pass and ratify the International Bill of Rights as a domestic law of Taiwan so that it becomes the "Taiwan Bill of Rights"; setting up an independent national human rights commission in line with the United Nations requirements; and bringing Taiwan back into the international human rights system.
To realize these goals, Chen said his administration has invited two outstanding non-governmental organizations -- the International Commission of Jurists and Amnesty International -- to assist in drafting measures to protect human rights.
Since former ICJ Chairman Kofi Kumado visited Taiwan in 2001, Chen said, Taiwan has forged exchanges with the prestigious organization and bilateral cooperation has become even closer after the Taipei Bar Association (TBA) obtained ICJ membership.
With the assistance of the ICJ, Chen said the Taipei Bar Association has been able to attend various U.N.-sponsored human rights meetings held in Geneva over the past few years. "I want to take advantage of the occasion to express my appreciation for the ICJ and TBA members' concerted efforts in helping Taiwan forging ties with those involved with international human rights," he said.
Chen also thanked the visiting ICJ specialists for having traveled to Taiwan to assist in drafting an advanced human rights bill and measures for implementing the legislation. "I earnestly hope that you'll continue offering counseling in laying out a viable comprehensive human rights protection mechanism in Taiwan's new constitution," Chen added.
Members of the ICJ delegation included Manfred Nowak, Elizabeth Evatt, Eric William Metcalfe and Gerald Theodor Staberock.