Taiwan's support for Ukrainian children 'vital': Italian NGO head

Taipei, Jan. 7 (CNA) The head of Italian humanitarian group WeWorld on Wednesday credited Taiwan's public and private sectors with providing essential support for children affected by the war in Ukraine.

"Partnerships like the one with Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) are so vital. They turn pledges into programs and concerns into concrete change," Marco Chiesara, president of WeWorld, said during his keynote address at the annual NGO Leaders Forum held in Taipei.

Such assistance allowed WeWorld to "keep child-friendly spaces open, keep heaters running, keep schools connected, and keep hopes alive," he said.

"Children cannot wait. They cannot wait for a ceasefire to find walls, for a construction budget to find a classroom, or for the next election to find psychosocial care. They need us now," Chiesara said.

Chiesara said WeWorld's most recent collaboration with Taiwan in Ukraine involved a project supporting foster families and children's mental health in Kyiv.

WeWorld, MOFA and TFCF also previously worked in other conflict-affected countries such as Syria and Afghanistan, following major earthquakes there, he added.

Chiesara's address was made during the one-day 6th NGO Leaders Forum held in Taipei, funded by MOFA.

In his opening remarks, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Wednesday that the annual event was held to review the achievements of government-NGO collaboration, and to jointly consider how Taiwan can further deepen public-private cooperation.

"Through its promotion of NGO diplomacy, Taiwan translates values-based diplomacy, with its focus on democracy, freedom, and human rights, into visible, credible, and concrete cooperative initiatives."

"Over the past year, MOFA's cooperation with domestic and international NGOs has continued to show that Taiwan has an important role to play as a platform, an enabler of cooperation, and a trusted partner in international society," the minister said.

Lin pledged to launch an international NGO center in Taipei in the near future to serve as a hub for nongovernmental activities throughout the Indo-Pacific region.