New York – His Majesty King Mswati III has called on the United Nations to find ways of including Taiwan in its structures so that it can contribute meaningfully to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. He was speaking on Thursday during the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The King noted that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, adopted in 1971, did not resolve the issue of Taiwan’s representation in the UN. He explained that the resolution does not prevent Taiwan’s participation in the UN system and argued that excluding Taiwan goes against the UN’s own mandate of ensuring that no country is left behind.
“The United Nations must seek suitable ways of including Taiwan so that she can better contribute to realising the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In that way, this will fulfil the UN mandate to ensure that no country is left behind,” His Majesty said.
He also urged the UN to establish ad hoc committees to mediate escalating global conflicts. He said such committees, supported by the UN Secretariat, should visit conflict zones and engage directly with affected communities to find solutions.
“We must remind ourselves that when the United Nations was established in 1945, it was during a time of widespread global strife. Now is the time to ask ourselves what has gone wrong and what steps must be taken to correct these challenges,” His Majesty told the Assembly.
Reflecting on the Covid-19 pandemic, the King reminded world leaders of the millions of lives lost and said the world cannot afford further losses caused by wars and unrest.
His Majesty also repeated his call for reforms to the United Nations Security Council, saying regionally balanced decision-making is necessary for the council’s legitimacy and effectiveness. Without such reform, he warned, the Security Council will remain incomplete in its mission to uphold global peace.
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