Control Yuan (CY) President Chang Po-ya signed a Cooperation Agreement with her Belize counterpart Mr. Lionel Arzu, the Ombudsman of Belize, on November 12, 2015. The agreement aims to build on the relations between the two agencies as well as promote and safeguard human rights. The Ambassador of the Republic of China (ROC) to Belize Mr. Benjamin Ho and several local Taiwanese compatriots were invited to attend the signing ceremony.
In her remarks, President Chang noted that Belize is a vital official ally of the ROC in Central America, which has shown its active support for Taiwan’s participation in the United Nations and other international organizations. The signing of this agreement heralds a new era in the bilateral relations between the two countries. She hoped that a platform could be formed later for closer mutual exchanges of experience on ombudsman work.
Ombudsman Arzu noted that the Belize ombudsman office, which was established in 1999, is much younger than the CY. However, it also bears the power of investigation and is able to rectify administrative wrongdoings and malfeasance. The ombudsman office also created the Facebook page to interact with citizens. He said that it was wonderful to formalize the cooperation agreement and expressed confidence that the two sides could further expand interactions.
President Chang also invited Ombudsman Arzu to visit Taiwan to learn more about the CY’s powers within the five-power central government system. Mr. Arzu promptly accepted the invitation.
President Chang is the first serving CY President to visit Belize. She also called on the Governor General of Belize H.E. Sir Colville Young and Speaker of Belize House of Representative Hon. Michael George Peyrefitte during the trip.