At local forum, EU envoy stresses duty, not fear, to build resilience

Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) Building societal resilience cannot rely on fear but rather must be rooted in duty and a sense of belonging, European Union Representative to Taiwan Lutz Güllner said Saturday at a Presidential Office forum in Taipei.

Güllner, head of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan (EETO), said during a keynote discussion that public communication was "key" in government efforts to promote societal preparedness and resilience against a range of hazards.

"It cannot be just a top-down communication. It needs to become a societal imperative that is really taken on by each and every individual," said Güllner, whose office represents Brussels' interests in Taiwan in the absence of formal relations.

"This cannot be [done] by fear. This needs to be a sense of belonging, of duty," he said, adding that the whole-of-society resilience efforts must take an "inclusive" approach.

Güllner made the comments at the event held to mark the first anniversary of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee under the Presidential Office, an ad-hoc advisory body focused on civil defense.

He was joined by U.K. Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones and Karin Lang, acting director of the American Institute in Taiwan's (AIT) Taipei main office.

Bradley-Jones emphasized the importance of "strategic communications" to maintain public trust, credibility and control of the narrative during emergencies.

At the same time, the British envoy urged Taiwan to improve its ability to shift from "normal time civilian structures into crisis response hybrid structures."

Lang, meanwhile, called for "even greater coordination" across national, city, and county governments to bolster Taiwan's ability to respond to natural disasters and other risks.

A first step taken by Taiwan to address the challenges highlighted by the speakers came in July, when rescue-focused "Urban Resilience" exercises were held for the first time in tandem with traditional air-raid drills.

The goal of the four-day drills was to mobilize civilians to practice emergency readiness, although reports indicated that levels of participation and preparedness varied across cities and counties.

The participation of envoys from the United States, the United Kingdom and the EU at the forum, following their presence at recent military, civil defense and disaster prevention exercises in Taiwan, reflected rising global interest in its capacity to withstand crises.

Speaking at the opening of the forum, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) reiterated Taiwan's determination to defend freedom and democracy, as well as build a sustainable society.

He also expressed Taiwan's desire to forge closer links with the international community as the country faces rising geopolitical tensions and climate challenges.