Taipei City Government

At the witness of the organization’s president Tatsuya Watanabe, Mayor Ko Wen-je accepted the certificate from International Fair Trade Towns Steering Committee (IFTTSC) in a press event on December 12. This marked a milestone for Taipei, as it became the first fair trade city in the Chinese world.

During his address, the mayor pointed out that fair trade was listed among the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in 2013. Currently, there are over 2,000 fair trade towns across the world – mostly in Europe and the US.

Since assuming office, Ko has instructed Taipei City Office of Commerce to collaborate with Fairtrade Taiwan in promoting the concept on school campuses and in the corporate world.

He reckoned that an advanced nation should uphold the values of fairness, justice, and environmental protection, rather than seeking to maximize profits when conducting economic activity. For example, the City should do its best to ensure that imported coffee beans were produced free of child labor, slavery, or environmental damage.

Regarding measures to promote fair trade, the mayor remarked that the effort requires support from city government, Taipei City Council, and the private sector. Campaigns will be mounted across the board by a dedicated agency to ensure that all merchandise meets fair trade standards concerning aspects from production to sales.