Gerrit van der Wees is a Dutch-American former Dutch diplomat and prominent advocate for Taiwan’s democracy and international recognition. He served as the editor of Taiwan Communiqué, a publication focused on Taiwan’s political and human rights developments, from the mid-1980s to 2016. During this period, he played a key role in informing international audiences about Taiwan's transition to democracy and its efforts to gain a stronger global presence. Van der Wees has also taught history and human rights at George Mason University and continues to write and speak extensively on Taiwan-related issues, contributing to international policy discourse and academic analysis.