20/09/2026
On the eve of the opening of the General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, we would like to revisit the issue of Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. The piece is a little long, but we believe it is well worth reading. Comments and feedback are most welcome.
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TSCS Comments # 2
Taiwan and the United Nations: The Case for Meaningful Participation
The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) opened on September 8 at United Nations Headquarters in New York, with the high-level General Debate scheduled for September 22–28 under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.”
Ahead of the General Debate, the permanent representatives to the United Nations of five of Taiwan’s diplomatic partners sent a joint letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres calling for Taiwan to be given an appropriate opportunity to participate in the UN system. The letter urged the United Nations to facilitate Taiwan’s meaningful involvement, recognize its contribution to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and work with member states to prevent conflict and promote the peaceful resolution of disputes.
Against this backdrop, the question of Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations has once again come into focus.
At the centre of the discussion is UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, adopted on October 25, 1971. The resolution restored the rights of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the United Nations, recognized the representatives of the PRC government as “the only lawful representatives of China” in the organization, and removed “the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek” from the UN and related bodies.
Resolution 2758 dealt exclusively with the question of China’s representation at the United Nations. It does not expressly determine Taiwan’s political status or state that the PRC has the right to represent Taiwan and its people in the UN system. Indeed, it is difficult to overlook the fact that the text of Resolution 2758 does not mention Taiwan or address the question of Taiwan’s status.
However, in statements submitted to the United Nations, Beijing has argued that, according to Resolution 2758, the PRC represents China in its entirety, including Taiwan. The Chinese government has also maintained that efforts to promote Taiwan’s participation in the UN system independently of the PRC are inconsistent with the resolution. This interpretation goes beyond the actual wording and meaning of Resolution 2758 and extends its scope to matters that the resolution does not address. In doing so, it conflates the PRC’s political position, the well-known “One China” principle, with the scope and legal effect of a UN General Assembly resolution.
Regardless of Beijing’s interpretation, the United Nations, whose Charter famously begins with the words “We the Peoples,” and whose founding principles are rooted in international cooperation and the peaceful settlement of disputes, is confronted with a crucial question: how can the international community ensure that the people of Taiwan are able to contribute meaningfully in areas that affect them and the wider world? The Charter’s opening words themselves underscore the broader human dimension of the international system: international institutions ultimately exist to serve peoples and address challenges that transcend borders.
Taiwan is deeply integrated into the global economy and participates in international cooperation in numerous fields. Questions concerning public health, aviation safety, maritime security, climate change, disaster preparedness, food security, technology and trade do not stop at political boundaries. Taiwan's practical and meaningful involvement in relevant international organizations can serve the interests not only of Taiwan but also of the wider international community.
But Taiwan’s diplomatic partners have also sought to place the issue in the broader context of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Their joint appeal calls on the United Nations to recognize Taiwan’s contribution to maintaining the status quo and to uphold the UN Charter’s principles concerning the peaceful settlement of disputes and the prevention of armed conflict.
The United Nations was created to promote international cooperation, peaceful dispute resolution and collective responses to global challenges. The debate over Taiwan consequently raises a question for the international community: how can the UN and other international organizations maximize the participation and contribution of all?
A constructive approach would acknowledge that Taiwan can contribute to international efforts with its expertise, resources and cooperation, while exploring practical mechanisms that allow Taiwan to participate where its involvement can advance shared international objectives.
