posted by: taiwanaid
On March 7th, Taiwan AID, along with 10 members from Zhi-Shan Foundation Taiwan, Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation, Fubon Cultural and Educational Foundation, Eden Social Welfare Foundation, The Garden of Hope Foundation, and The Mustard Seed Mission, joined the public hearing of the new version of the “White Paper on Foreign Aid Policy”. Aim to provide suggestions for the international cooperation and development of Taiwan.
Here are suggestions we made during the public hearing,
1. The government and NGOs should establish a regular dialogue mechanism to achieve a sincere partnership.
2. Increase the proportion of ODA executed through NGOs. In OECD countries, the average proportion of international aid and development executed through NGOs by governments is 15%, while in Taiwan, it is less than 1%.
3. Construct mechanisms for international talent development and public education to assist Taiwanese in having a more international perspective and to enhance awareness of international aid and development.
4. Establish a high-level interdepartmental coordination unit to integrate NGOs, businesses, and government departments, and jointly promote international development strategies based on the needs of different countries.
5. The "White Paper on Foreign Aid Policy" should be updated every four years according to the presidential term.
6. Amend laws to establish a cooperative mechanism among NGOs, enterprises, and government.
In the long run, the new version of the “White Paper on Foreign Aid Policy” should out more emphasis on the civic participation instead of soley focusing on strenghtening diplomacy, and advocate in the human-based approach and Sustainable Development Goals as the guide towards international aid. By integrating international aid and development resources from the public and private sectors, optimizing development efficiency and effectiveness, we hope that we can together enhance Taiwan's international influence by promoting the "Taiwan Can Help" initiative.
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