[Politics] Executive Yuan Unveils "Office for Strengthening Democratic Resilience"; Premier Cho Hopes for Public-Private Collaboration Platform

The Executive Yuan held a unveiling ceremony for the "Office for Strengthening Democratic Resilience" on the 17th. Premier Cho Jung-tai stated that the path from promoting transitional justice to establishing this office has been a long one. He expressed gratitude to the colleagues who have long been dedicated and undertaken this significant responsibility. He also hopes that the office will serve as a platform for public-private collaboration and cooperation with global democratic partners, integrating more civil forces to build stronger resilience against risks, and working with global democratic partners to jointly uphold the "democratic umbrella" that safeguards the democratic system. Cho Jung-tai pointed out that the "Fund for Promoting Transitional Justice" is managed by the National Development Council for revenue, expenditure, custody, and utilization. Over the past three years, the NDC and the National Archives Administration have assisted various ministries in using the fund to promote open access to archives, restoration of victims' rights, healing of political trauma, transitional justice education, and encouraging civil access, achieving many concrete results. Therefore, the unveiling ceremony is an occasion to thank the relevant units for their efforts. Cho Jung-tai stated that the establishment of the "Office for Strengthening Democratic Resilience" is based on the three major goals set forth in the "Strategic Plan of the Fund for Promoting Transitional Justice": expanding inter-agency cooperation and rooting transitional justice in civil society; implementing human rights education and cultivating a democratic culture; and supporting social welfare and long-term care to promote sustainable justice. At the same time, members of the Executive Yuan's Transitional Justice Promotion Committee have repeatedly reminded that in the face of challenges such as the expansion of authoritarianism, extreme politics, the proliferation of disinformation, and crises of social trust, a stronger foundation of social trust must be built. He emphasized that promoting transitional justice is not just about healing the scars left by the past party-state system, but a systemic social recovery project that comprehensively reflects on the past and looks to the future. He believes that only by understanding historical experiences can the direction of future development be grasped. Facing threats such as the expansion of authoritarianism, information manipulation, and external interference and division, Taiwan must base itself on historical experience to prevent similar incidents from recurring, which is the core meaning of strengthening democratic resilience. Cho Jung-tai stated that after discussions by the "Task Force for Strengthening Democratic Resilience" under the Executive Yuan's Transitional Justice Promotion Committee, it was decided to establish a cross-ministerial policy coordination and fund utilization platform at the Executive Yuan level. This platform will better meet practical needs, deepen the dual goals of transitional justice and democratic resilience, and serve as an important task for the next phase of promoting the nation's democratic cultural engineering. He also thanked Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan, Minister without Portfolio Lin Ming-hsin, Deputy Secretary-General Lee Kuo-hsing, and Vice Chairman of the NDC Peng Li-pei for their joint efforts in establishing the office, implementing the policy objectives of the "Strategic Plan of the Fund for Promoting Transitional Justice," and realizing the spirit of the fund: "taken from the people, returned to the people." Cho Jung-tai pointed out that President Lai Ching-te proposed the two governing principles of "A Peaceful and Democratic Taiwan" and "A Just and Sustainable Taiwan" upon taking office. Therefore, he has two expectations for the office. First, he hopes the office will serve as an interface platform for public-private collaboration, combining more civil forces to assist in cross-ministerial policy planning and execution, properly utilizing the transitional justice fund, and enhancing the society's resilience against risks. Second, he hopes the office will become an important platform for cooperation with global democratic partners, upholding the democratic umbrella and jointly safeguarding the democratic system. Finally, Cho Jung-tai stated that the promotion of transitional justice and democratic resilience is not a short-term action, nor will it be completed by a single event. It requires long-term dedication, continuous accumulation, and perseverance. He hopes that the office will continue to move in the right direction and work together to accomplish all tasks.