[Politics] EU Representative to Taiwan, Gudrun Gallistl, Meets with Human Rights Commission, Focusing on Abolishing the Death Penalty and Labor Rights
bella@@ 央廣 新聞4h ago
The Director of the European Economic and Trade Office, Gudrun Gallistl, met with the National Human Rights Commission on the afternoon of the 16th. She was received by Vice Chairperson Chi Hui-jung, along with Commissioners Wang Yu-ling, Wang Jung-chang, Wang Li-chen, Tien Chiu-chin, Kao Yung-cheng, Yeh Ta-hua, and Hung Yi-chang. The two sides engaged in in-depth exchanges and shared insights on deepening human rights cooperation between Taiwan and the EU, social communication for the gradual abolition of the death penalty, and the protection of migrant workers' rights.
Chi Hui-jung stated that Gallistl possesses extensive diplomatic experience in fields such as trade, security, and countering disinformation, and expressed confidence that she can bring new perspectives to Taiwan-EU exchanges. Gallistl, in turn, affirmed Taiwan's emphasis on human rights values, noting that Taiwan's achievements in human rights development have become an important model in the region. She highlighted that the EU and Taiwan are like-minded partners with a long history of good exchanges on human rights issues.
Regarding the death penalty, Chi Hui-jung pointed out that Taiwan completed the fourth national report review under the two covenants in May of this year. While the international review committee recommended a "moratorium on executions," the abolition of the death penalty remains a highly controversial issue in Taiwanese society, requiring meticulous social dialogue to build consensus.
The National Human Rights Commission established the "Working Group for the Promotion of Gradual Abolition of the Death Penalty" in September 2023. Kao Yung-cheng explained the related work on promoting social communication and improving the victim's family care system. The National Human Rights Commission will also lead a delegation to Europe at the end of June to attend the "9th World Congress Against the Death Penalty," looking forward to exchanging legal and practical experiences with European partners.
Gallistl shared that the EU and its member states also underwent lengthy social discussions in their process of promoting the abolition of the death penalty, ultimately abolishing the death penalty in all circumstances after the implementation of relevant regulations under the "European Convention on Human Rights" in 2003. She emphasized the importance of continued social dialogue, including aspects such as supporting victims' families and protecting civil rights. Tien Chiu-chin and Wang Jung-chang also shared Taiwan's experiences in promoting social issues such as same-sex marriage.
Furthermore, Gallistl invited the National Human Rights Commission to participate in the "EU-Taiwan Seminar on Labor Rights" to be held on June 30th, hoping to further promote exchanges and cooperation on human rights issues. She stated that the EU will continue to work hand-in-hand with Taiwan to promote the abolition of the death penalty and the protection of labor rights.
Chi Hui-jung responded that migrant workers' labor rights have long been an important issue of concern for the National Human Rights Commission, which has conducted several special studies and submitted relevant reports in the past. She expressed her hope that through the exchange of European experiences and Taiwanese practices, human rights protection work can be continuously deepened, and that Taiwan and Europe will maintain close cooperation in the field of human rights to jointly promote human rights development in the future.
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=215079
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