Journalist Body Urges Un To Accredit Taiwanese Peers

Reporters without Borders (RSF) has called on the United Nations to allow Taiwanese journalists to cover its events.



In a statement on Tuesday, the group urged the UN for accreditation of Taiwanese journalists for the ongoing 73rd annual General Assembly in New York and the World Health Assembly in Geneva scheduled for next spring



China has been lobbying at the UN against press accreditation for Taiwanese nationals on the pretext that their passports are not recognized.



Christophe Deloire, secretary-general of RSF, said: "Accredit all journalists of good faith, regardless of their nationality or the place of origin of their media."



"Accrediting Taiwanese journalists is not a political move, and it avoids unacceptable discrimination that contradicts all's fundamental right to free information stated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," he added.



The UN denied Taiwanese journalists accreditation to cover the World Health Assembly hosted in Geneva by the World Health Organization for four consecutive years.



The island of Taiwan has 23 million people and the Republic of China claims sovereignty over it.



Taiwan ranks 42nd while China ranks 176th out of 180 in the RSF World Press Freedom Index. -