Responding to the frustrations of Taiwan ’s 23 million people at their government’s stymied efforts to gain a role in the General Assembly, the World Health Organization, and elsewhere, President Chen Shui-bian submitted Taiwan ’s first-ever application for full membership to the United Nations on July 19^th, 2007.

Taiwan clearly has the right under the UN Charter to seek membership.  As defined by the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, Taiwan possesses all the criteria for a sovereign state – a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and a capacity to enter into relations with other states.

Taiwan is vibrant democracy, providing a beacon of freedom to others in its region still seeking political emancipation. 

Taiwan ranks as the world’s eighteenth largest economy and its sixteenth largest trading nation, making it critical to international commerce. 

Taiwan is a major contributor to the global development agenda, providing hundreds of millions in assistance worldwide and producing strategies and technologies to address transnational challenges such as SARS, the Avian Flu, and tsunamis.

Taiwan has observer status or associate membership in seventeen intergovernmental organizations, such as the World Trade Organization, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering, and the Egmont Group, which combats illegal money flows. Meanwhile, Taiwan ’s nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) participate in the activities of over 2,000 international NGO groups.

The existence and security of Taiwan ’s people would be better protected as a member of the UN, whose mandate includes maintaining global peace and security.  Of particular note, a UN role for Taiwan would help counter the hegemonic policies employed by the People’s Republic of China , which have increasingly eroded the status quo across the Taiwan Strait . 

Legislative elections 2007: Over 3,5 millions Burkina Faso citizens went to the polls on May 6th, 2007 for the 4th consecutive legislative elections since the passing of the Constitution in 1991.

The ruling party, the Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) won the majority of votes and got 73 Members of Parliament out of 111, according to results announced by the Constitutional Court. The other 38 seats are split among the opposition parties and the parties parraining to the presidential sphere of influence.

New Cabinet: As a consequence of legislative elections the May 6th polls brought about the designation of a new administration. A June 4th, 2007 presidential decree appointed Mr. Tertius Zongo Prime Minister of Burkina Faso. Prior to that, Mr. Tertius Zongo was Ambassador of Burkina Faso in Washington. On June 10th, 2007, the new Prime Minister formed his cabinet of 34 ministers including 5 women. The CDP (Congress for Democracy and Progress), ruling party and the ADF / RDA (the opposition) are the two political groups represented in the new Cabinet marked by 14 departures and 17 arrivals. The portfolios with a strong diplomatic connotation are entrusted to:

-Colonel Djibril Yipènè Bassolé, Foreign affairs and Regional Cooperation, (change of portfolio)

-Mr. Jean Baptiste Marie Pascal Compaoré, Minister of Economy and Finance (unchanged)

-Mr. Zakalia Koté, Minister of Justice, Attorney General: (new)

-Mr. Yéro Boly, Minister of Defense (unchanged)

-Mr. Laurent Sedego, Minister of the Environment and of Quality of life (unchanged)

Establishing the crux of his action, the new Prime minister announced the following orientations:

- The pursuit and strengthening of the sustainability and the quality of economic growth and further, the operationalization of visible and appropriate answers to the Burkinabè's social needs;

- The job creation especially for young people, which generates revenue for all, based on greater attention to the betterment of the business climate to give the private sector its fair place in the process of creating national wealth. The fulfillment of economic and social achievements to significantly reduce the impact of poverty; A more shared and equitable growth in order to provide the most destitute with basic social services cost effective;

Inter-Togolese Meeting: The 6th session of the Monitoring Committee of the Inter-Togolese Global Political Agreement met on May 14th, 2007 in Ouagadougou under the aegis of the Facilitator, President Blaise Compaoré.

The main decision arising from the meeting is the postponement of the legislative elections initially planned for June 24th, 2007 to August 5th, 2007. The postponement came as a result of delays as well as of logistical, technical, financial and human difficulties admitted by the Facilitator.

The Côte d’Ivoire Crisis: President Blaise Compaoré on a visit to Côte d’Ivoire.

The Burkinabè Head of State Blaise Compaoré, facilitator in the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, chaired the first meeting of the members of the Permanent Body for Consultation (CPC) on June 12th, 2007 in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire. It is the first visit of President Compaoré to this country since the beginning of the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire in September 2002.

The (CPC) is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the inter-Ivorian peace agreement signed on March 4th, 2007 in Ouagadougou by the president Laurent Gbagbo and the leader of the ex-rebellion Guillaume Soro, who has since become Prime Minister. In addition to President Gbagbo, Soro and Compaoré, the CPC is made up of the unarmed Ivorian opposition representatives: Henry Konan Bédié, the former Head of State, and Alassane Ouattara, former Prime Minister. At the wrap up of meeting, President Blaise Compaoré declared that the general election in Côte d’Ivoire, which had been postponed since the end of 2005, could take place in the first quarter of 2008.

Distinction of Burkinabè in financial institutions

The ceremony took place on April 14th, 2007 in the residence of the Ambassador of Burkina Faso in Washington. Mr. Norbert Toé, Sibiri Sawadogo, Moussa Barry and Franck Douamba, have all received their National Knight medals respectively from the Minister of Finance and Budget, Mr. Jean-Baptiste Compaoré, the acting governor of the BCEAO, Mr. Damo Baro Justin, Ambassador Tertius Zongo, and Mr. Lucien Marie Noel Bembamba, Managing director of the Treasury and Public Accountancy, all of whom were present in Washington as part of the Spring Meetings of the World Bank and the IMF. Also notably present at the ceremony were other friends of Burkina Faso, the other members of the Finance Minister's delegation, and the Embassy's top staff.