The Dutch House of Representatives has shown its support for Taiwan’s sovereignty and its participation in international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO). The motion, led by Dutch MP Jan Paternotte, was passed with a vote of 147-3 in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch Parliament. The motion emphasizes that U.N. Resolution 2758 from 1971 does not grant sovereignty over Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China or make any judgment on Taiwan’s future participation in international organizations.
In 1971, Taiwan lost its permanent membership in the United Nations after Resolution 2758 was passed by the General Assembly. Since then, Taiwan’s foreign ministry has been criticizing China for misinterpreting the resolution and using it to claim representation rights for Taiwan within the U.N. system.
The motion also calls on Dutch officials at the U.N. General Assembly to advocate for Taiwan’s future participation in international organizations such as WHO and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). Additionally, it urges an EU-wide effort to support Taiwan’s representation in U.N. organizations.
Jan Paternotte, a member of the Dutch Democrats 66 party and one of two Dutch co-chairs of Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), stated that U.N. Resolution 2758 has been misused for too long to block Taiwan’s rightful representation globally. He emphasized that it is time to reassess how this resolution is interpreted and ensure that it no longer silences a vibrant democracy like Taiwan.
Australia became the first country to follow through with IPAC’s “2758 Initiative” by passing an urgency motion rejecting Beijing’s distortion of Resolution 2758 regarding Taiwan’s status. On September 13th, Taiwanese foreign ministry expressed gratitude towards Dutch lawmakers for passing this motion during UNGA79 session.
These resolutions are seen as significant restatements of government policy regarding Taiwan and demonstrate global opposition against distorting international law and diminishing Taiwan’s standing.
