(Central News Agency reporter Chen Junhua, Taipei, 21st) When meeting with the delegation of Norwegian Freedom Party Chairman Melby today, Chen Ju, chairman of the Human Rights Commission, said that Taiwan and Norway share the values of democracy, freedom and human rights, and it is an honor to learn from the Norwegian delegation; Melby We hope to deepen the relationship between Norway and Taiwan and jointly defend the universal values of freedom, democracy and human rights.
The National Human Rights Commission stated in a press release that Guri Melby, Second Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Norwegian Parliament and Chairman of the Liberal Party, and his delegation visited Chen Ju today. The two sides exchanged views on the current development of human rights in Taiwan and human rights issues.
The Human Rights Council said the visiting delegation also included Fredrik Castens, secretary-general of the Liberal Party of Norway, Malin Eidsvåg Østevik, senior foreign affairs adviser of the Liberal Party, and Solveig Hillestad, Liberal Party adviser to Oslo City Hall. ).
Chen Ju said that this is the first time in many years that a Norwegian member of parliament has officially visited Taiwan. She thanked Melby for supporting Taiwan on many occasions in Congress and recognized Taiwan’s pursuit and efforts for freedom, democracy and human rights for more than half a century. Although Taiwan and Norway The geographical distance is far apart, but Taiwan and Norway are both democratic countries and share the same beliefs and values of democracy, freedom and human rights.
Chen Ju said that Taiwan has been under China’s civil and military intimidation for many years. It is not only harassed by planes and ships, but also attacked by false information from China. After 38 years of authoritarian rule, Taiwan has won freedom of speech, but it has been subjected to it. A lot of damage.
Chen Ju pointed out that Taiwan’s human rights evaluation is among the best in Asia and the world; Taiwan also has outstanding performance in the fields of women’s rights and gender equality. In 2016, the first female president Tsai Ing-wen was elected. The proportion of female members of Congress in 2020 As high as 42%, it is the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
Chen Ju said that in the “2023 Global Freedom Report” released by “Freedom House”, Taiwan ranked 17th in the world, tied with Germany, Iceland and other countries, and second in Asia; Norway received full marks in freedom and was ranked 2nd in Asia. 1, it is a special honor to learn and communicate with the 1st Norwegian delegation.
Melby said that although the history of the development of independent democracy in Norway is relatively short, the people take the life of freedom and democracy for granted. In recent years, the value of democracy and freedom has faced great threats. The Russia-Ukraine war has made people think about the need to reduce their dependence on authoritarian regimes. Democratic countries must unite and cooperate to defend human rights.
Melby said that in addition to being a major country in science and technology, Taiwan has also made amazing achievements in gender equality. He hopes that the two sides will continue to promote substantive relations between the two sides in the fields of education, trade, science and technology, and national defense in the future, and hopes to deepen the relationship between Norway and Taiwan. , and jointly defend the universal values of freedom, democracy, and human rights.
Chen Ju said that human rights are universal values and bridges across national borders and political barriers. She hopes that Taiwan’s efforts will be seen and contribute to Taiwan’s human rights development experience. (Editor: Zhai Sijia) 1121121
