Institutional Human Rights Protection without a UN-membership: Taiwan's Domestication of International Human Rights Law

This memo examines the mechanisms through which Taiwan, as a non-Member State of the United Nations, protects human rights, including domestic judicial review and the voluntary implementation of international human rights conventions. Not only does the voluntary nature of Taiwan’s commitment render its binding force vulnerable, it also results in a lack of accountability when the government is reluctant to fulfill its obligations. To bridge these gaps, local non-governmental organizations (hereinafter “NGOs”) resort to transnational advocacy networks and raise international awareness of local human rights threats, encouraging and pressuring the government of Taiwan to adhere to its Convention obligations.