President Surangel Whipps Jr. called for the inclusion of Taiwan and its 23 million citizens in humanity’s effort to solve ocean problems in a statement delivered at the UN Ocean Conference 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal, this week.
“We need all of humanity, including the 23 million people in Taiwan, to be part of the solution.
The shirt I am wearing today is an example of innovative solutions to addressing pollution it
was made from recycled plastic bottles collected in Palau and turned into this beautiful shirt in
Taiwan. We need to look beyond our differences, work toward our common ocean challenges,” asserted Whipps in his delivery of Palau’s statement.
Meanwhile, the country of Tuvalu, represented by its foreign minister, boycotted the event when three (3) Taiwanese citizens who were part of Tuvalu’s delegation were denied after China demanded that Tuvalu’s Taiwanese delegates be removed and threatened to revoke the credentials of the entire delegation.
Minister Victor, attending the same conference, said UN needs to reconsider its’ systems. He said he believed that there was an infringement on the sovereignty of Tuvalu.
Tuvalu is one of the Small Island Developing States at the frontline of Climate Change impacts, projected to be one of the first countries to disappear due to rising sea levels. Tuvalu is a member of the Small Islands Developing States. Palau, Tuvalu, Marshalls, and Nauru are members of the Small Islands Developing States and recognize Taiwan.