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<body><div>Yes I agree Tapani and that would be the best way to address these issues. If we can't call them stateless, what can we call them?</div><div><br /></div><div>But is Palestine in the same position as well - can't attend IGF? </div><div><br /></div><div>We are talking over 30 million people here......</div><div><br /></div><div>Ian</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>------ Original Message ------</div>
<div>From: "Tapani Tarvainen" <<a href="mailto:tapani.tarvainen@effi.org">tapani.tarvainen@effi.org</a>></div>
<div>To: "ian.peter@ianpeter.com" <<a href="mailto:ian.peter@ianpeter.com">ian.peter@ianpeter.com</a>></div>
<div>Cc: <a href="mailto:mike.oghia@gmail.com">mike.oghia@gmail.com</a>; "IGC" <<a href="mailto:governance@lists.riseup.net">governance@lists.riseup.net</a>></div>
<div>Sent: 6/09/2019 7:50:31 PM</div>
<div>Subject: Re: [governance] Taiwanese nationals and the IGF</div><div><br /></div>
<div id="x705d2a0081c1410" class="plain"><blockquote cite="20190906095031.GB11102@tehanu.it.jyu.fi" type="cite" class="cite2">
<tt style="word-wrap:break-word"><div class="plain_line">Just a minor point but Taiwan is not the only country that isn't a</div>
<div class="plain_line">member of the UN (others include Vatican, Palestine, Kosovo, Niue,</div>
<div class="plain_line">Cook Islands at least). If someone wants to push this it might be</div>
<div class="plain_line">better to frame it more generically rather being than just about</div>
<div class="plain_line">Taiwan.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">Tapani</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">On Sep 06 08:44, <a href="mailto:ian.peter@ianpeter.com">ian.peter@ianpeter.com</a> (<a href="mailto:ian.peter@ianpeter.com">ian.peter@ianpeter.com</a>) wrote:</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<blockquote type="cite" class="cite2">
<div class="plain_line"> I wish there was an easy answer to this Michael.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line"> But as I understand it, we are dealing with a whole-of-UN problem,</div>
<div class="plain_line"> not just an IGF one. For whatever historic reasons, and they are to</div>
<div class="plain_line"> do with recognition of the Peoples Republic of China, Taiwan is not</div>
<div class="plain_line"> recognised by the UN as a nation state - although they would like to</div>
<div class="plain_line"> be and have a few allies pushing their cause.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line"> I believe it goes back to 1971. China's attitude has been "The</div>
<div class="plain_line"> United Nations is an international organization composed of</div>
<div class="plain_line"> sovereign states.Taiwan as a province of China is completely not</div>
<div class="plain_line"> qualified and has no right to participate in it. Due to the</div>
<div class="plain_line"> well-known reasons, the Taiwan authorities illegally usurped China's</div>
<div class="plain_line"> UN seat for as long as 22 years"</div>
<div class="plain_line"> (<a href="http://ae.china-embassy.org/eng/zt/twwt/t150866.htm">http://ae.china-embassy.org/eng/zt/twwt/t150866.htm</a>)</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line"> But having said that - others might be able to provide more</div>
<div class="plain_line"> background - since IGF is not a meeting of nation states, but also</div>
<div class="plain_line"> includes civil society and other stakeholders, one would think there</div>
<div class="plain_line"> might be a way around it. Yes, to register one needs a passport -</div>
<div class="plain_line"> maybe an ally of Taiwan would be prepared to issue passports or</div>
<div class="plain_line"> acceptab;e documents for Taiwanese citizens?</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line"> I don't know how we could get around this, just brainstorming. In an</div>
<div class="plain_line"> ideal IGF, stateless people would have a voice and be able to</div>
<div class="plain_line"> attend, subject of course to standard security clearances. Maybe MAG</div>
<div class="plain_line"> could explore this?</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line"> Ian Peter</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line"> ------ Original Message ------</div>
<div class="plain_line"> From: "Michael J. Oghia" <<a href="mailto:governance@lists.riseup.net">governance@lists.riseup.net</a>></div>
<div class="plain_line"> To: "IGC" <<a href="mailto:governance@lists.riseup.net">governance@lists.riseup.net</a>></div>
<div class="plain_line"> Sent: 6/09/2019 5:49:07 PM</div>
<div class="plain_line"> Subject: [governance] Taiwanese nationals and the IGF</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line"> >Hi everyone,</div>
<div class="plain_line"> ></div>
<div class="plain_line"> >I'd like to raise a serious concern I have regarding the IGF. A</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >contact of mine in Taiwan is having trouble registering for the</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >IGF. She solely has a Taiwanese passport, but the IGF, as a UN</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >event, can only register individuals who have a passport from a UN</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >member state (of which Taiwan is not a member). I checked with the</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >IGF Secretariat, and unfortunately, there's not much they can do</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >about it.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> ></div>
<div class="plain_line"> >I know that the politics surrounding China and Taiwan are</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >contentious, however, this essentially means that she (and anyone</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >else) from Taiwan – more than 23.5 million people – are</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >essentially barred from attending the IGF if they don't have</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >another passport.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> ></div>
<div class="plain_line"> >I find this deeply problematic and in violation of the fundamental</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >principles of the multi-stakeholder model, namely the fact that</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >it's meant to be inclusive and open to all.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> ></div>
<div class="plain_line"> >Has anyone encountered this problem in the past, either in the IG</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >sector or another development sector? Does anyone have ideas for</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >how it can be resolved? I'm well aware this is not the first</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >instance of a Taiwanese national being excluded from participation</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >in a global event, so perhaps this is a moot point and no one can</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >help. Still, it still strikes me as incredibly unjust and unfair</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >that regional politics would prevent individuals from attending</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >the IGF.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> ></div>
<div class="plain_line"> >Best,</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >-Michael</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >__________________</div>
<div class="plain_line"> ></div>
<div class="plain_line"> >Michael J. Oghia | Advocacy & Engagement Manager</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD <<a href="https://gfmd.info">https://gfmd.info</a>>)</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >Belgrade, Serbia | Twitter <<a href="https://www.twitter.com/MikeOghia">https://www.twitter.com/MikeOghia</a>> |</div>
<div class="plain_line"> >LinkedIn <<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeoghia">https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeoghia</a>></div>
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