During a meeting with French Office in Taipei Director Jean-François CASABONNE-MASONNAVE on the morning of December 21, CY President Chu CHEN expressed her hope for more exchanges on human rights issues with France. She added that Taiwan’s having finally established the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) after nearly two decades of hard work demonstrates the nation’s concern for human rights.
President CHEN first welcomed Director CASABONNE-MASONNAVE and expressed her admiration of France’s founding values, which are based on human rights. She elaborated that the main task of the CY is holding the government accountable for its exercise of powers when people’s rights are violated and that it strives to uphold government integrity. The commissioners of the NHRC are also CY members and pay much attention to human rights issues, including the promotion of human rights education and proposing suggestions regarding legislative omissions in human rights measures.
President CHEN noted that Taiwan’s human rights decrees originated from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), ICCPR, and ICESCR. Taiwan spent over 50 years under authoritarian rule, and the fight for democracy and freedom was long and arduous. As a result, Taiwan is well aware that human rights are universal and should be considered unconditional.
Director CASABONNE-MASONNAVE agreed that human rights, democracy, and freedom do not come easily and that we must fight to maintain them. France is willing to share its experience through exchanges with the CY on human rights issues, he continued, stating that as a diplomat, exchanging views with Taiwan is an important way to help each side better understand one another. He hopes that both can have more practical exchanges after the pandemic ebbs. President CHEN responded that she would be glad to see that happen and expressed her additional hope for further cooperation.