The Executive Yuan of the Republic of China stated that the 7th Taiwan-European Union Human Rights Consultation was held in Taipei on the 5th, focusing on cooperation and emerging challenges. This regular consultation meeting highlights the long-term exchange and cooperation between Taiwan and the European Union in the field of human rights, demonstrating the mutual concern of both parties for global human rights development.
The Executive Yuan of the Republic of China announced in a press release that the 7th Taiwan-European Union Human Rights Consultation was chaired by Lin Ming-hsin, a political deputy minister of the Executive Yuan, and attended by representatives from various government departments. On the EU side, Nicoletta Pusterla, Deputy Head of Division for Mongolia, Department of the Asia-Pacific at the European External Action Service (EEAS), and Domenica Bumma, Policy Officer of the Human Rights Division of the Department of Global Issues, represented the European Union.
The consultation started in a candid and constructive atmosphere, with both sides discussing recent human rights developments, policy promotion, and priority action plans and exchanging views. Taiwan shared various national human rights action plans and their progress, emphasizing the transparency and citizen participation mechanisms of the national human rights action plans to ensure openness, diversity, and effective response to societal needs. Taiwan and the European Union reiterated their strong commitment to promoting and protecting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, and delved into several key issues.
Regarding business and human rights, the EU introduced the latest progress on the “Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive” (CSDDD), while Taiwan shared updates on the “National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights,” emphasizing promoting corporate human rights protection through soft law and discussing potential legislative actions in the future.
During the working lunch jointly hosted by Lin Ming-hsin, the political deputy minister, and Wu Chih-chung, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the two sides discussed digital rights and human rights education. The EU introduced the “Artificial Intelligence Act” (AIA) and the “Digital Services Act” (DSA), emphasizing the need for technology development to consider human rights and privacy. Taiwan shared a draft of the Basic Law on Artificial Intelligence, highlighting risk management and data governance.
In terms of human rights education, Taiwan shared its achievements in promoting human rights education in schools and public institutions, proposing the feasibility of establishing a “Taiwan-European Union Human Rights Education Cooperation Framework” to promote academic and educational exchanges.
Further discussions between Taiwan and the EU focused on gender equality and the human rights of the elderly. The EU and Taiwan reviewed the results of the “Taiwan-EU Gender Equality Cooperation and Training Framework” (GECTF), proposing to initiate a second phase of cooperation focusing on preventing online gender-based violence, safeguarding diverse gender rights, and deepening gender equality cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Regarding the human rights of the elderly, both sides shared policies on long-term care and an elderly-friendly environment, discussing how to ensure the rights of the elderly in an aging society, including economic security, healthcare, and social participation, and exchanging policy experiences.
Regarding the rights of migrant workers, Taiwan explained protective measures for domestic workers and long-haul fishermen, including establishing direct employment mechanisms, improving labor conditions, and enhancing law enforcement supervision. The two sides also discussed how to enhance the rights of migrant workers in disadvantaged situations.
Following the formal consultation meeting, civilian members of the Executive Yuan’s Human Rights Promotion Task Force had their first dialogue exchange with EU representatives, discussing the current challenges and opportunities in human rights policies faced by both sides.
The Executive Yuan of the Republic of China stated that Taiwan and the EU both share core values of democracy, freedom, and human rights, with a solid foundation for cooperation in these areas. The government will continue to elevate human rights standards, coordinate interdepartmental cooperation, and ensure that policies align with international standards. Both sides look forward to launching more concrete cooperation plans in the future, strengthening Taiwan-EU partnership through experience sharing and policy dialogues, further promoting global human rights development, and bringing more positive influence to the international community.