Taiwan's efforts to participate in WHA unsuccessful for 10th time

This article was written by Rita Fang and published by the Taiwan Journal on May 26, 2006. It reports that the 59th World Health Assembly is currently taking place in Geneva from May 22 to 27. It is the annual meeting of the World Health Organization's nearly 200 member states.

During the meeting, a wide range of issues are scheduled to be discussed. These include the strengthening of pandemic-influenza preparedness and response; polio eradication; infant and young-child nutrition; sickle-cell anemia; smallpox eradication and the destruction of variola virus stocks; prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment; international trade and health; the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; intellectual property rights; and the WHO Eleventh General Programme of Work, 2006-2015.

Year 2006 marks Taiwan's 10th consecutive attempt to join the World Health Assembly as an observer. It is also the international health organization's 10th consecutive time to turn down Taiwan's request. Because of China's continuous pressure, the World Health Assembly has violated its principle of universality, which aims to protect people's health without discrimination.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the future, as international health systems become sounder and get more emphasis, it will become less possible for a single heavyweight such as the World Health Organization's director-general or a single member state such as China to block international trends. It is hoped that Taiwan will see progress in future membership bids.

At the World Health Assembly, despite obstruction from China and Cuba, Gambia and Belize submitted a motion to debate the issue of Taiwan's participation in World Health Organization's activities. Representatives from Malawi, Pakistan, Palau and China also offered their views on whether Taiwan should be allowed to participate in these activities. While Pakistan and China were strongly against Taiwan's participation, Malawi and Palau argued that Taiwan should have a right to participate.

According to the representative from Malawi, the world is beguiled by the "one-China" principle. Taiwan only asks to participate in the World Health Organization as an observer, not a member-state, so the "one-China" question should not enter into the issue. On the other hand, Palau used itself as an example to speak of the importance of health for a small country.

Eventually, it was announced at the World Health Assembly that because member states could not reach a consensus on the Taiwan issue, it would not be listed on the meeting's agenda.

Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Health reiterated the government's strategy of seeking "meaningful participation" in the World Health Organization's activities. This means increasing Taiwan's participation at the international health organization's technical meetings, adhering to the International Health Regulations, and actively participating in the World Health Organization's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.