Dutch parliament passes motion backing Taiwan’s participation in Interpol

The Netherlands’ House of Representatives adopted a motion supporting Taiwan’s participation in the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) during a plenary session on Tuesday.

 

The motion, proposed by parliamentarians Agnes Mulder and Kees van der Staaij, was passed by a vote of 149 to 0 with one absentee, according to the Taipei Representative Office in the Netherlands in a press statement.

 

The motion referred to Taiwan as the Netherlands’ important partner regarding business and combating global crime and said Taiwan’s request for meaningful participation in Interpol was legitimate.

 

It also urged the Dutch government to work with other countries to explore ways to support Taiwan in its bid to participate as an observer in Interpol’s general assembly and take part in the transnational crime control body’s meetings and training programs.

 

The passage of the motion came on the same day as Interpol’s general assembly began in Istanbul, where representatives from the body’s 194 member states will elect new leadership and vote on policy in a three-day session.

 

According to Taiwan’s representative office, Tuesday’s motion was another display of support for Taiwan from the Dutch parliament since 2019, when it adopted a motion backing Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.

 

Support for the country from the Dutch administration has also grown in recent years, the representative office observed, adding that the Netherlands’ Foreign Minister Ben Knapen told the parliament last week that his country supported Taiwan’s inclusion in Interpol.

 

Taiwan joined Interpol in 1961 as the Republic of China but was forced to withdraw in 1984 after the entry of the People’s Republic of China. Its participation has been blocked since then under a resolution passed at Interpol’s 53rd general assembly the same year.

 

Taiwan seeks to take part in Interpol’s general assembly as an observer, and hopes to participate in all the organization’s meetings, mechanisms, and activities, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel