Joint Statement on the 2020 Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) Joint Committee
On December 15, 2020, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), in partnership with Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), and Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association co-hosted the sixth Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) Joint Committee in Taipei. During the meeting, representatives from the United States, Taiwan and Japan reviewed the accomplishments from this year’s GCTF activities and exchanged views on priority areas of cooperation for 2021. The meeting was successfully concluded.
As we mark the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the GCTF, the United States, Taiwan and Japan continue to strengthen cooperation in a wide variety of fields under the GCTF platform. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were unable to invite government officials, experts, and scholars from countries around the world to come to Taiwan for training, but we still managed to hold 7 virtual GCTF workshops. Australia, Guatemala, and the Netherlands also joined efforts in organizing events on different topics. Next year, we plan to host GCTF workshops in the areas of public health, law enforcement, disaster prevention and mitigation, renewable energy, and workforce and artificial intelligence. Specific details about each event will be announced at an appropriate time.
Through GCTF, the United States, Taiwan and Japan continue to expand professional cooperation with like-minded countries. As mentioned in the Joint Statement on the 5th Anniversary of the GCTF issued by the three parties on June 1 this year, we will further expand the scope of cooperation and push the institutionalization of the GCTF. MOFA’s Department of North American Affairs has established the GCTF Group (the GCTF Secretariat). In addition, the GCTF website (https://www.gctf.tw) has been completed and officially launched. The website can provide more information about the GCTF and serve as a platform for all GCTF participants to connect with each other after the events.
Since the GCTF was founded on June 1, 2015, we have organized 29 international workshops on topics that are of interest to the United States, Taiwan and Japan, with a total of 68 countries and nearly 1,600 government officials and experts participating in the workshops. We welcome more like-minded countries to join us in expanding the scope of cooperation under the GCTF.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu
American Institute in Taiwan
Director Brent Christensen
Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office
Chief Representative Hiroyasu Izumi
