The Republic of China’s limits to sovereignty in relation with the UN: a study of the evolution of the country’s status and of the strategies to further integrate it in the UN system

Abstract

This thesis will study the evolution of the status and the relations of the Republic of China (ROC) inside and in connection with the organizations part of the United Nations (UN), to analyze its activity notwithstanding the limits to sovereignty that characterize this specific case study. The inquiry will be based on the following research question: “How is the Republic of China (Taiwan) able to act in relation to the UN despite its limits to sovereignty?” This qualitative analysis aims to investigate the peculiar working mechanisms of Taiwan’s foreign policy inside the UN and the UN-affiliated organizations. To this scope, also the ROC’s participation in other regional and functional IGOs will be considered to make useful comparisons and considerations. In addition to that, the aim is to discuss the different approaches and strategies developed by Taiwan itself and by third states and parties to maintain and expand the country’s international space, through diplomatic and economic means. This framework of different practices, known as “flexible diplomacy” concerning Taiwan’s efforts, and its actual working will be studied, pinpointing the main features. The analysis will discuss the indirect forms of participation to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) by focusing on specific requests or issues brought to the attention of the organ by third states in favor of Taiwan’s cause. Furthermore, also the direct or indirect participation of the ROC to this organ’s works, and the modalities by which third states relate to the issue will be investigated and analyzed to find out recurring elements and patterns that are relevant to the purpose of the research. The study will also consider the current status of Taiwan in the different UN-affiliated organizations, summarizing the changes occurred after the 1971 switch towards the recognition of the PRC in the UNGA and other UN organizations. Since the inquiry is aimed at analyzing the different strategies adopted by the ROC’s government to deal with its limits to sovereignty, the compromises and the concessions achieved in different organizations depending on these level of politicization will be investigated and discussed. To deepen the analysis, by making appropriate comparisons, also Taiwan’s accession and activity in other regional and functional IGOs and forums will be considered. The study will be constituted by a first part concerning the analysis of the factual elements that embody the limits to the ROC’s sovereignty, and the consequent limited and asymmetrical activity of the country inside the UN after its expulsion from it in 1971. Then, the influence of the relations with the PRC and the different strategies enacted by Taiwan’s governments in connection with the UN will be discussed. A specific focus on the ROC’s status and participation in the WHO will be carried out as it is relevant to the scope of this thesis. The inquiry will also consider the participation and the activity of Taiwan in the UN system regarding specific functional organizations, to better underline the different types of involvement and integration based on the levels of politicization of the different IGOs. To this end, the ROC’s participation to non-UN IGOs and regional forums will be taken into account. Finally, the risks deriving from the exclusion of the ROC from specific UN organizations, along with the potential benefits of further integration will be highlighted and discussed.