Ms. Akiku Haisum, Secretary General of the Council of Indigenous Peoples of the ROC (Taiwan) and Secretary General of the Austronesian Forum, and Dr. Manny Jules, Chief Commissioner of the First Nations Tax Commission of Canada (FNTC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement was signed by both parties at a hybrid ceremony hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver on March 8th, 2022.
The FNTC and the Austronesian Forum are both structured to advance the interests of indigenous peoples. Established under the First Nations Fiscal Management Act (FMA), the FNTC is an institution responsible for regulating, supporting, and enhancing taxation systems for First Nations across Canada in order to achieve sustainable economic development. For its part, the Austronesian Forum is commissioned by the Council of Indigenous Peoples of Taiwan to promote dialogue between Austronesian leaders across the APAC region.
Bridging the Pacific Ocean, the Memorandum of Understanding will expand opportunities for Taiwan and Canada to cooperate in indigenous affairs for the years to come.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by both parties in the presence of Mr. Harold Calla, Executive Chair of the First Nations Financial Management Board and his delegation.
Other dignitaries, such as Ambassador Winston Wen-yi Chen, Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada, Mr. Frank Caputo, Member of the Parliament of Canada, Mr. Paul Seear, Policy Advisor for Mr. Jamie Schmale, Member of the Parliament of Canada, Mr. Jordan Reeves, Executive Director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, Mr. Yapasuyongʉ Poiconʉ, Director of Policy Planning Group, Secretariat Office of Austronesian Forum, and Mr. Douglas Hsu, Director General for North American Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the ROC (Taiwan) witnessed the signing virtually.
Secretary General Akiku Haisum indicated that this MOU was the first MOU signed by Austronesian Forum since its relaunch in 2018, and the MOU will provide a platform for indigenous peoples in Taiwan, Austronesian peoples across the Pacific region and First Nations of Canada to work together. Ambassador Winston Wen-yi Chen and Chief Commissioner Manny Jules both recognized the shared values of democracy and freedom between Taiwan and Canada, and were happy to see that the MOU can further promote the interests of indigenous peoples in Taiwan and Canada.
Secretary General of the Council of Indigenous Peoples of the ROC (Taiwan) and Secretary General of the Austronesian Forum, Akiku Haisum (right picture) and Chief Commissioner of the First Nations Tax Commission of Canada, Manny Jules (standing in left picture) sign a Memorandum of Understanding on March 8th, 2022.
Dignitaries attend the hybrid MOU signing ceremony: Douglas Hsu, Jordan Reeves, Akiku Haisum, Yapasuyongʉ Poiconʉ (left picture, from left to right) and Manny Jules, Harold Calla (right picture, from left).
