On the morning of December 18, President Ma Ying-jeou attended a press conference to announce release of the English version of the ROC's first national human rights report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The president emphasized that the government will continue to adhere to human rights standards set forth by the UN and will work to ensure that Taiwan's human rights standards are in line with those of the world's advanced nations.
In remarks, President Ma stated that after the conclusion of World War II in 1945, countries reflected on the casualties and human rights violations caused by the war, and resolved to found the United Nations. Article 1 of the Charter of the UN, he noted, proclaims that the purpose of the UN is to settle international disputes by peaceful means and to encourage respect for human rights. In 1948, he mentioned, the UN passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and in 1966 it further adopted the ICCPR and the ICESCR. The content of these documents forms an important part of the International Bill of Human Rights, he said.
The president explained that the ROC, as a founding member of the UN, signed the two human rights covenants back in 1967, but after losing its representation in the UN was unable to further participate in UN conferences or activities, so action to ratify these two covenants was delayed. However, in response to widespread calls here for Taiwan's human rights protections to be brought in line with international practices, the president said, he declared on December 10, 2008 at the ceremony awarding that year's Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award that action would be taken as soon as possible to ratify the two covenants. On May 14 of the following year, the president formally signed the instruments of ratification for the two covenants.
President Ma acknowledged that, due to the special situation of the ROC, the UN in 2009 rejected the deposit of the ratification documents. Nonetheless, the government enacted an implementation act to incorporate the content of the two covenants into domestic law, he said. In addition, the government has reviewed legislation and administrative measures, and requires that government agencies adhere to the provisions of the covenants, he said. President Ma stated that to date, about 70% of the amendments needed to bring legislation in line with the covenants have been completed. Furthermore, the government, in accordance with the covenants, on December 10, 2010 established the Presidential Office Human Rights Consultative Committee, with then-Vice President Vincent C. Siew (蕭萬長) serving as convener and Prof. Chai Sung-lin (柴松林) as deputy convener. A wide range of individuals with a demonstrated concern for human rights were invited to serve on the committee, which has been working to formulate suggestions on key human rights concerns, he commented.
The president explained that one of the most important missions of the Presidential Office Human Rights Consultative Committee is to help the government compile a national human rights report each year as required by the two conventions. President Ma stated that on April 20 of this year he presided over a press conference to unveil the Chinese version of the human rights report, and during that press conference publicly declared Taiwan's commitment to establishing the ROC as a nation founded on human rights. He noted that the report has now been translated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs into English, and that the government has invited international human rights scholars and experts to review the report, just as called for under UN procedures. President Ma explained that these individuals will come to Taiwan before February of next year to screen the English version of the human rights report and then issue concluding observations . He expressed his hope that their considerable experience and knowledge will help the ROC to better protect and promote human rights.
President Ma remarked that the UN requires each country to complete four tasks in the course of preparing its human rights reports. The first is to carry out a comprehensive review of domestic laws and regulations to ensure harmony with the provisions of the covenants. The second is to review and strengthen the implementation of the covenants in order to enhance human rights. The third is to find problems or shortcomings in the implementation of the covenants. And the fourth is to plan and develop appropriate human rights policies. Presently, the president said, the government is carrying out work on all of these fronts in line with the standards and procedures of by the UN. The Presidential Office Human Rights Consultative Committee, he remarked, held over 90 conferences and public hearings in preparing the national human rights report. The point of these events was to hear a broad range of public opinion and use it as a means of pooling wisdom and resolving shortcomings.
President Ma stressed that while the ROC withdrew from the UN over 40 years ago, it remains committed to complying with UN standards. The president pointed out that Article 141 of the ROC Constitution even clearly provides: "The foreign policy of the ROC shall …… respect treaties and the Charter of the United Nations." Meanwhile, the name "Republic of China" still appears in Article 23 of the Charter of the UN (which has to do with the Security Council) and Article 110 (which sets forth rules on ratification), he said. The ROC therefore continues to embrace the spirit of the Charter of the UN in implementing related policies, the president stated, adding that in addition to the two aforementioned covenants, the government also intends to incorporate the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women into domestic law. This will bring Taiwan's human rights standards more closely in line with the practices of advanced nations, he said.
The president stated that the ROC recently unveiled the East China Sea Peace Initiative, which accords with the spirit of the Charter of the UN by calling for peaceful dispute resolution. President Ma commented that while at present Taiwan is able to participate in only a limited number of UN-affiliated activities, the ROC still adheres to the principles set forth during the founding of the UN. He expressed the hope that other nations will look upon the ROC as a constructive force in the international community, and reiterated that the ROC will continue to be a peacemaker, a provider of humanitarian aid, a promoter of cultural ties, a creator of new technologies and business opportunities, and a standard-bearer of Chinese culture in order to promote international cooperation and ensure world peace.
Upon completing his remarks, the president responded to questions from the media about the national human rights report and human rights-related topics. Among those attending the press conference were Presidential Office Human Rights Consultative Committee Convener Vice President Wu Den-yih, Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), Control Yuan Vice President Chen Jinn-lih (陳進利), Secretary-General to the President Timothy Chin-tien Yang (楊進添), Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin (林永樂), Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu (曾勇夫), high-ranking officials of other government agencies, and diplomatic envoys to the ROC.