UN Indigenous Forum: Taiwan Shares Cultural Resilience and Human Rights Experience
Taiwanese indigenous groups participated in events alongside the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York. Despite Taiwan's non-UN member status, they shared valuable experiences regarding decolonization and disaster resilience with the international community.
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- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 09:41
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(Central News Agency, reporter Liao Han-yuan, New York, 23rd, Special Dispatch) Indigenous groups such as the "Hualien County Indigenous Public Affairs Promotion Association" and the "Millet Ark Team" recently participated in events related to the "UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues" in New York. Although Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations, indigenous groups have shared Taiwan's unique experiences of decolonization and resilience in the face of disaster challenges through international exchanges.
The 25th "UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues" (UNPFII) in 2026 is being held in New York from April 20 to May 1. The theme of this year's forum is "Ensuring indigenous health, including in conflict areas."
Indigenous groups such as the "Hualien County Indigenous Public Affairs Promotion Association," the "Millet Ark Team," the "PAFATIS (Amis word for 'sharing') Indigenous Advocacy Alliance," the National Human Rights Commission, and groups and individuals from the New York diaspora participated. During the event, they held workshops, performances, and attended meetings to share Taiwan's practical experiences with the world—from history, systems, and communities to culture. The "Hualien County Indigenous Public Affairs Promotion Association" held a seminar at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York on the 23rd.
Chen Po-chun (Sra), chairman of the Hualien County Indigenous Public Affairs Promotion Association, stated that the true voices of indigenous issues should not be missed just because Taiwan is not a UN member. This conference discussed the impact of conflict on indigenous health. While Taiwan is currently not facing major conflicts, it has encountered significant disasters in the past. They hope to look at how to respond to these changes from the perspective of post-disaster reconstruction and traditional culture.
He said that government policies will never 100% meet the needs of tribes or communities, so adjustments are made after every disaster or situation. Because communities and tribes cannot adjust themselves as easily, policies can be rolled out and adapted to assist communities and remote tribes, making the implementation of policies more localized.
Chen Po-chun emphasized that conversing with indigenous people from all over the world to cast aside so-called state-to-state relations is something civil societies continue to reflect to the UN. The voices of various organizations and ethnic groups must be valued, rather than only caring about state-to-state relations.
Lin Yih-ren, one of the initiators of the Millet Ark Team and a professor at the Graduate Institute of Museum Studies at Taipei National University of the Arts, pointed out that Taiwan's indigenous people have a history of being colonized on the island, which is a common experience discussed in UN indigenous issues. Because Taiwan as a country cannot be recognized, the colonized experiences of its indigenous people cannot be exchanged with other indigenous peoples of the world. These experiences of oppression need to receive more attention here.
Lin Yih-ren believes that Taiwan has made much progress in its decolonization experiences in recent years and wants to share them with other indigenous peoples of the world, but due to national relations, these experiences have been blocked. Taiwan is a large population of the Austronesian peoples in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, sharing close linguistic and genetic relationships. Indigenous peoples from the Māori in New Zealand, Easter Island (Chile), to Madagascar are all related to Taiwan's indigenous people. Taiwan is a very early point of origin.
He emphasized that Taiwan's indigenous people are extremely important. Because they cannot join the UN, international exchanges are hindered, but Taiwan's indigenous people are willing to contribute their experiences of decolonization, cultural diversity, and knowledge.
The 25th "UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues" (UNPFII) in 2026 is being held in New York from April 20 to May 1. The theme of this year's forum is "Ensuring indigenous health, including in conflict areas."
Indigenous groups such as the "Hualien County Indigenous Public Affairs Promotion Association," the "Millet Ark Team," the "PAFATIS (Amis word for 'sharing') Indigenous Advocacy Alliance," the National Human Rights Commission, and groups and individuals from the New York diaspora participated. During the event, they held workshops, performances, and attended meetings to share Taiwan's practical experiences with the world—from history, systems, and communities to culture. The "Hualien County Indigenous Public Affairs Promotion Association" held a seminar at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York on the 23rd.
Chen Po-chun (Sra), chairman of the Hualien County Indigenous Public Affairs Promotion Association, stated that the true voices of indigenous issues should not be missed just because Taiwan is not a UN member. This conference discussed the impact of conflict on indigenous health. While Taiwan is currently not facing major conflicts, it has encountered significant disasters in the past. They hope to look at how to respond to these changes from the perspective of post-disaster reconstruction and traditional culture.
He said that government policies will never 100% meet the needs of tribes or communities, so adjustments are made after every disaster or situation. Because communities and tribes cannot adjust themselves as easily, policies can be rolled out and adapted to assist communities and remote tribes, making the implementation of policies more localized.
Chen Po-chun emphasized that conversing with indigenous people from all over the world to cast aside so-called state-to-state relations is something civil societies continue to reflect to the UN. The voices of various organizations and ethnic groups must be valued, rather than only caring about state-to-state relations.
Lin Yih-ren, one of the initiators of the Millet Ark Team and a professor at the Graduate Institute of Museum Studies at Taipei National University of the Arts, pointed out that Taiwan's indigenous people have a history of being colonized on the island, which is a common experience discussed in UN indigenous issues. Because Taiwan as a country cannot be recognized, the colonized experiences of its indigenous people cannot be exchanged with other indigenous peoples of the world. These experiences of oppression need to receive more attention here.
Lin Yih-ren believes that Taiwan has made much progress in its decolonization experiences in recent years and wants to share them with other indigenous peoples of the world, but due to national relations, these experiences have been blocked. Taiwan is a large population of the Austronesian peoples in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, sharing close linguistic and genetic relationships. Indigenous peoples from the Māori in New Zealand, Easter Island (Chile), to Madagascar are all related to Taiwan's indigenous people. Taiwan is a very early point of origin.
He emphasized that Taiwan's indigenous people are extremely important. Because they cannot join the UN, international exchanges are hindered, but Taiwan's indigenous people are willing to contribute their experiences of decolonization, cultural diversity, and knowledge.