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to fund green energy projects, and thereby leveraging
the benefits of such initiatives.
Other global efforts that the TaiwanICDF carried
out in 2014 in the interest of protecting economies,
employment and the right to live in safety (including
improving the quality of life in refugee camps) included
programs to build sustainable eco-tourism and
preserve local cultural assets, as well as humanitarian
aid programs involving the resettlement of refugees
and post-disaster reconstruction in regions such as
northern Jordan, South Sudan, the Philippines and the
Solomon Islands.
Complying with the SDGs and Continuing to
Upgrade Organizational Effectiveness
In the face of the continually changing state of world
affairs, the form taken by international cooperation
and development is under constant renewal; in
addition, the development of our partner countries
continues to advance. In response to the SDGs, the
TaiwanICDF is striving to marshal Taiwan’s advantages,
strengthen capacity building, upgrade organizational
effectiveness and consider ways of integrating limited
resources in order to enhance the effectiveness of aid
programs.
In terms of upgrading skills at our organization, we
are continuing to strengthen the foreign aid and project
management expertise of personnel, encouraging
an in-depth understanding of the history of Taiwan’s
economic development, as well as the history and
development progress of our partner countries. We
are also arranging exchanges with other international
development organizations, actively cultivating “in-
house” specialists, participating in project appraisal
and identification, and passing on our experience, all
with the aim of helping our staff gain a clearer grasp
of partner countries’ development needs. As for
mechanisms to manage aid work, we are simplifying
the TaiwanICDF’s project management tools and
workflow, setting up overseas project manager and
project coordinator positions so as to speed up
communication between domestic and overseas units,
allowing projects to be carried out more effectively.
When it comes to project planning, with respect to
operational priorities such as agriculture, public health
and medicine, education, ICT and environmental
protection, the TaiwanICDF will strengthen
interdisciplinary integration, incorporating science
and technology to upgrade technical cooperation,
and leverage financial instruments, such as lending
and investment, to strengthen project results. The
organization will also build diversified international
aid partnerships, all with the aim of overcoming
the constraints of limited resources and enhancing
Taiwan’s advantages and experience.
A Blueprint for Assistance Based on
International Development Concepts
Compared with the MDGs, the SDGs focus on three
major tasks – development, peace, and human rights
– while continuing to work toward the goal of reducing
poverty and hunger, and further stressing the issues
of biodiversity, multiculturalism and climate change,
which are applicable to both poor and rich countries.
Furthermore, the number of goals to be achieved has
multiplied. Given such wide-ranging involvement and
considering the attainability and feasibility of such
goals, it will be necessary to carry out discussion and
negotiation so that all of the parties concerned can
focus and forge a consensus.
Thus, going forward into the post-2015 era, and
following its vision of partnerships for progress and
sustainable development, the TaiwanICDF will continue
to adhere to its guiding principles and the purpose of
Taiwan’s international cooperation and development
goals, and, paying close attention to the development
and progress of the UN SDGs, draft a blueprint for
international development assistance. By building
the closest partnerships with our partner countries
via a professional and effective cooperative model,
we can jointly enjoy the benefits of advancement and
prosperity.
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Amb. Weber V.B. Shih
Secretary General
TaiwanICDF