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Legislators call for concrete action on Taiwan's WHO bid

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators yesterday requested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs take concrete action to carry out President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) pledge that Taiwan will become a WHO member and not just an observer.

DPP Legislators Winston Dang (陳重信) and William Lai (賴清德) issued the call to action yesterday at a press conference after learning that the ministry had not submitted a proposal for participating under observer status in this year's World Health Assembly. The assembly will take place in Geneva on May 14.

30 days

Article 115 of the assembly's charter stipulates that countries wishing to participate in the meeting must submit their applications 30 days before it opens so that applications can be listed on its agenda.

Therefore, Taiwan must file an application to the WHO's Executive Board for observer status in the assembly before April 13, Dang said.

Supporters

Dang said that more than 100 legislators had signed a proposal in support of the nation's application to enter the WHO as a full member.

"But the ministry did not even submit an application to the WHO's Executive Board for observer status in the assembly, saying there was insufficient time," he said.

`Actual participation'

Dang also said that the ministry should not deviate from its strategy of entering the WHO as a full member to engage in "actual participation" in the organization's functions.

"We urge the ministry to obey and carry President Chen's promise and not to fear the battle ahead," Dang said. "We hope the ministry will stand firm and take real action to push Taiwan's bid to join the WHO."
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