Civil Groups Attend UN Consultative NGO Meeting to Expand Taiwan's International Space
Taiwanese NGOs attended the CoNGO meeting in Bangkok to share their expertise in SDGs and ESG, utilizing citizen diplomacy to overcome Taiwan's exclusion from the UN and expand its international footprint.
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- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 20:51
- 🔍 Collected: April 22, 2026 at 21:02 (10 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 10:28 (13h 26m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA Reporter Li Zong-xian, Bangkok, 22nd) The Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) is holding its 2-day annual meeting in Bangkok starting today. Civil groups, including the STUF United Fund, sent representatives to participate. CoNGO First Vice President Cyril Ritchie stated that although Taiwan is excluded from the UN, it can still learn mutually with other countries through UN-related platforms like CoNGO.
The CoNGO Regional Committee for Asia-Pacific (RCAP) commenced its 2-day annual meeting today at Siam University in Bangkok. According to its official website, the committee's purpose is to facilitate the participation of Asia-Pacific NGOs in the global and regional activities of the UN and related organizations.
CoNGO First Vice President Cyril Ritchie stated at the meeting that the current global push for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is slow and even regressing. One of the reasons is deteriorating geopolitics and frequent wars and conflicts.
Ritchie pointed out that many governments fail to abide by international law and the UN Charter, and even deliberately weaken the UN system. In contrast, NGOs and civil society are often more active in supporting the UN than some member states. He called on governments to give civil groups more space to participate in UN decision-making.
Ritchie visited Taiwan in 2017 and met with then-Vice President Chen Chien-jen, who noted at the time that Ritchie is an important leader of international NGOs.
In an exclusive interview with CNA after the meeting, Ritchie emphasized the increasingly important role of NGOs. He said that in theory, governments should fully represent the people, but in reality, governments in many countries cannot achieve this. Therefore, civil society and NGOs become the spokespersons for the people, capable of bringing the voices of grassroots citizens, farmers, doctors, and various sectors into policymaking.
He said: "If governments are willing to listen to the opinions of civil groups, they can formulate policies that better meet the people's needs and are easier to implement."
Speaking on the importance of Taiwan's participation in relevant meetings, Ritchie said it is "regrettable that Taiwan is excluded from the UN," but it can still engage in two-way learning with other countries through UN-related platforms like CoNGO.
He told CNA: "Taiwan has rich experience, expertise, and capability in many fields such as public health. NGOs from other Asia-Pacific countries can learn from Taiwan, and Taiwan can also draw inspiration from other countries. This is a two-way exchange."
The STUF United Fund, composed of North American Taiwanese businessmen, is a board member of CoNGO, and its president, Lin Jing-lun, attended the meeting. Lin pointed out that many NGOs, when advocating for issues, often face problems of insufficient follow-up execution power and generational transition. Therefore, it is even more necessary to establish long-term partnerships so that the issues can continuously impact society, enterprises, and governments.
Regarding the challenges of Taiwan's participation in international organizations, Lin told CNA that Taiwan has always faced many difficulties but has also been constantly looking for breakthroughs. He believes that with limited official channels, participating in international affairs through NGOs and enterprises is the most effective approach for Taiwan at this stage.
He emphasized that Taiwanese enterprises already possess considerable influence globally. "These enterprises can also become an important entry point for Taiwan to promote sustainability and participate internationally."
Chen Ren-de, President of the Taiwan Creative Economy Association (TCEA), and Honorary President Tang Jia-wei also attended the meeting. Tang stated that the association continues to share Taiwan's experience in promoting ESG and SDGs through the annual meeting.
She pointed out to CNA that the association had previously submitted reports on women's equality. This year, it focused on the SDGs of "Quality Education" and "Reduced Inequalities," sharing the results of promoting education, rural medical care, and community services in Taiwan.
Tang hopes that by participating in CoNGO, more of the international community will see Taiwan's efforts in sustainable development and social care, and establish more cooperation opportunities with various countries. (Editor: Xie Yixuan) 1150422
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(CNA Reporter Li Zong-xian, Bangkok, 22nd) The Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) is holding its 2-day annual meeting in Bangkok starting today. Civil groups, including the STUF United Fund, sent representatives to participate. CoNGO First Vice President Cyril Ritchie stated that although Taiwan is excluded from the UN, it can still learn mutually with other countries through UN-related platforms like CoNGO.
The CoNGO Regional Committee for Asia-Pacific (RCAP) commenced its 2-day annual meeting today at Siam University in Bangkok. According to its official website, the committee's purpose is to facilitate the participation of Asia-Pacific NGOs in the global and regional activities of the UN and related organizations.
CoNGO First Vice President Cyril Ritchie stated at the meeting that the current global push for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is slow and even regressing. One of the reasons is deteriorating geopolitics and frequent wars and conflicts.
Ritchie pointed out that many governments fail to abide by international law and the UN Charter, and even deliberately weaken the UN system. In contrast, NGOs and civil society are often more active in supporting the UN than some member states. He called on governments to give civil groups more space to participate in UN decision-making.
Ritchie visited Taiwan in 2017 and met with then-Vice President Chen Chien-jen, who noted at the time that Ritchie is an important leader of international NGOs.
In an exclusive interview with CNA after the meeting, Ritchie emphasized the increasingly important role of NGOs. He said that in theory, governments should fully represent the people, but in reality, governments in many countries cannot achieve this. Therefore, civil society and NGOs become the spokespersons for the people, capable of bringing the voices of grassroots citizens, farmers, doctors, and various sectors into policymaking.
He said: "If governments are willing to listen to the opinions of civil groups, they can formulate policies that better meet the people's needs and are easier to implement."
Speaking on the importance of Taiwan's participation in relevant meetings, Ritchie said it is "regrettable that Taiwan is excluded from the UN," but it can still engage in two-way learning with other countries through UN-related platforms like CoNGO.
He told CNA: "Taiwan has rich experience, expertise, and capability in many fields such as public health. NGOs from other Asia-Pacific countries can learn from Taiwan, and Taiwan can also draw inspiration from other countries. This is a two-way exchange."
The STUF United Fund, composed of North American Taiwanese businessmen, is a board member of CoNGO, and its president, Lin Jing-lun, attended the meeting. Lin pointed out that many NGOs, when advocating for issues, often face problems of insufficient follow-up execution power and generational transition. Therefore, it is even more necessary to establish long-term partnerships so that the issues can continuously impact society, enterprises, and governments.
Regarding the challenges of Taiwan's participation in international organizations, Lin told CNA that Taiwan has always faced many difficulties but has also been constantly looking for breakthroughs. He believes that with limited official channels, participating in international affairs through NGOs and enterprises is the most effective approach for Taiwan at this stage.
He emphasized that Taiwanese enterprises already possess considerable influence globally. "These enterprises can also become an important entry point for Taiwan to promote sustainability and participate internationally."
Chen Ren-de, President of the Taiwan Creative Economy Association (TCEA), and Honorary President Tang Jia-wei also attended the meeting. Tang stated that the association continues to share Taiwan's experience in promoting ESG and SDGs through the annual meeting.
She pointed out to CNA that the association had previously submitted reports on women's equality. This year, it focused on the SDGs of "Quality Education" and "Reduced Inequalities," sharing the results of promoting education, rural medical care, and community services in Taiwan.
Tang hopes that by participating in CoNGO, more of the international community will see Taiwan's efforts in sustainable development and social care, and establish more cooperation opportunities with various countries. (Editor: Xie Yixuan) 1150422
Choose to stand with facts. Every sponsorship of yours is a power to protect press freedom.
Download the CNA "First-hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.