Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations, proclaims that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to advance an opinion without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers.

For this, UN marks May 3 as World Press Freedom Day, emphasising that the protection of press freedom is absolutely one of its most important core values. Hence the UN, and UN-related organisations have absolutely no legitimate grounds to exclude any journalist, regardless of his or her national origin.

Ironically, journalists of Taiwan (which is listed as a free country in the recent report of 'Freedom of the Press 2007' released by US based Freedom House) are frequently excluded from covering the activities of UN-related organisations.

For example, over the past three years, the UN's Geneva Office has denied accreditation to journalists from Taiwan to cover the 57th, 58th and 59th annual meeting of the World Health Assembly.

In so doing, the UN has violated their basic rights as individuals (as they are not representatives of any governmental authority) as well as the right of Taiwan's 23 million people to be informed on what's going on around the world.

We appreciate the organisations who are dedicated to defending freedom of the press. In this regard, Reporters Sans Frontieres, the International Federation of Journalists and the UN Journalists Association, have voiced their unreserved support for Taiwanese journalists.

As the WHA's 60th annual meeting will soon convene in Geneva, I would like to highlight this matter and urge all to support the right of Taiwan's journalists to news coverage.

The writer is Director, Information Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia.