On Wednesday, July 19, 2023, the National Human Rights Commission of Taiwan issued “Independent Evaluation Opinions on ICERD’s First National Report” during a press conference.
The representatives of the United States, Australia, Indonesia, Israel, the Philippines, and Representative Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa of the Office of Tibet, Taiwan attended the program that was presided over by the president and vice-president of the Central Investigating Commission.
The battle for human rights is an ongoing one, according to Chen Ju, President of the Central Investigating Commission of Taiwan and Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission.
“The Taiwan Government has for the first time disclosed the report, which is anticipated to be examined by independent agencies. Racial prejudice has not yet been stopped due to vague legislation or regulations that do not apply. Now that everyone is aware of it, maybe it will contribute to the eradication of racial prejudice, she added.
Taiwan has ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) since March 31, 1966. Later on, however, it was kicked out of the ICERD and is no longer a member. Despite this, it continues to fulfill its commitments and on December 14, 2022, it released its first report. Three National Human Rights Commission members oversaw the report’s production. It called attention to problems with human rights including migratory labor, stateless people, and those applying for residency and naturalization. One of the racial discrimination difficulties was the Tibetans’ visa situation.
