Efforts to Implement the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
- Date：
- Source：Immigration Planning Section
- Hit：3837
- Updated date：2026-05-22
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (hereinafter referred to as ICERD) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 21, 1965, and entered into force on January 4, 1969. The ICERD was signed by the Republic of China (Taiwan) on March 31, 1966, ratified on November 14, 1970, and deposited on December 10, 1970. The Convention entered into force in Taiwan on January 9, 1971.
Progress
1. Formulating the ICERD Action Plan
Pursuant to the decision made by the 33rd meeting of the Human Rights Advisory Committee under the Office of the President on September 21, 2018, the ICERD Action Plan was approved by the Executive Yuan on May 8, 2020 and became the foundation for planning and implementing relevant ICERD measures. The "Racial Discrimination Elimination Promotion Group" is established under the Executive Yuan Coordination Committee on Prevention of Human Trafficking and Elimination of Racial Discrimination (hereinafter referred to as “the Coordination Committee”) to supervise and assist in the implementation of measures related to ICERD.
2. Key Initiatives and Achievements
a. Regulatory Review
Established in 2020, the ICERD Regulatory Review Working Group has convened ten sessions to date, focusing on reviewing and compiling national laws potentially inconsistent with the ICERD. The findings were submitted to the Coordination Committee and are undergoing ongoing review as per its resolutions.
b. Public Awareness and Outreach
In 2022, a street interview video on ICERD was produced to better understand public perceptions of racial issues. In 2023, bilingual (Chinese and English) animated videos were created to explain ICERD articles through case-based scenarios. In 2025, 3 bilingual (Chinese and English) thematic short films concerning the core principles of ICERD were produced. These were published on YouTube and other social media platforms to raise public awareness.
c. Education and training
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) conducted Training-of-Trainers programs in 2021 and Case Study workshops in 2025, which were developed into digital materials available on the Public Service e-Learning+ Platform and the ICERD section of the NIA’s official website.
d. National Report
Taiwan began drafting its Initial National Report in 2022. From August to September of the same year, four consultation meetings with civil society organizations were held. The finalized report was released at a press conference on December 14, 2022.
e. International Review and Follow-Up Mechanism
In June 2023, the International Review Committee (IRC) was established. From August to November 2023, the IRC conducted a written review of both the government’s Initial National Report and the parallel reports submitted by civil society organizations. The formal international review session was held on April 22–23, 2024, followed by a press conference on April 26 to release the Committee’s Concluding Observations and Recommendations. A total of 89 recommendations were issued. Subsequently, the follow-up mechanism was approved by the Coordination Committee on August 2, 2024. This mechanism includes action response tables prepared by the relevant agencies for the 59 recommendations subject to monitoring and follow-up out of the 89 recommendations. Following the approval at the 50th Coordination Committee on February 6, 2026, the lead and co-organizing agencies were requested to regularly report their latest progress to present the implementation outcomes in the Second National Report.
Conclusion
The NIA, under the supervision and assistance of the ICERD Task Force of the Executive Yuan, will continue implementing ICERD, progressively fulfilling its obligations in accordance with the guidelines and the established timeline of the ICERD Action Plan.