When President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) met with American Institute in Taiwan Chairman James Moriarty following the nation’s exclusion from this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, she described participation as intrinsically linked to Taiwan’s right to health.
So is participation in the WHO, or at least attendance at its annual WHA meeting, an inalienable right of Taiwanese?
That depends on whether exclusion from the organization impedes the nation’s ability to provide its citizens with quality medical care.
Article 25 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights released on Dec. 10, 1948, says: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care.”
The National Economic and Social Rights Initiative says: “The human right to health means that everyone has the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.”
Does exclusion from the WHO and the WHA mean that Taiwanese have inadequate access to medical services?
In an interview with Time magazine last month, Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said that delays in receiving pandemic information during the 2003 SARS outbreak inhibited containment and treatment efforts, which he said led to 37 deaths.
However, Taiwan received help from the US Centers for Disease Control, so Chen is unable to be certain that the deaths were caused by delays in receiving aid.
There is no question that the WHO plays an important role in the coordination of research and dissemination of information, but to what extent does exclusion from the organization affect health services in and involving Taiwan?
Taiwan in 1995 became the first Asian nation to institute national health insurance, a system that is praised by visitors from all over the world.
Business Insider magazine earlier this year ranked Taiwan No. 1 among nations providing the best quality of life for expats, citing the quality and affordability of healthcare as a major factor.
If the importance of Taiwan’s participation in the WHO is not about how it would affect access to medical care for Taiwanese — a human rights issue — then what is it about?
Taiwan needs to increase its international space or it risks falling into obscurity, especially in the face of incessant political pressure from China since Tsai took office in May last year.
However, Taiwan will never achieve this aim by seeking recognition in organizations that require statehood and of which China is a member.
This is particularly true of organizations in which China has installed people into leadership roles, such as the WHO headed by Margaret Chan (陳馮富珍) and Interpol with Meng Hongwei (孟宏偉) as president.
What the Taipei administration should focus on is expanding the many successes it has made in the development of international relationships.
Nearly 200 international organizations list Taiwan as a member in some capacity, with many calling the nation “Taiwan” or the “Republic of China (ROC).”
For example, Taiwan participates in Human Rights Watch, the Asia Council and Amnesty International as “Taiwan,” as well as in ASEAN and the US-based Institute of International Education as “Taiwan (ROC).”
Taipei received confirmation earlier this year that it can use the national flag at this year’s Summer Universiade to represent the national team.
Taiwan should pursue international recognition in areas like these where China cannot directly assert its influence.
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