With less than four months to go before the World Health Assembly (WHA) convenes, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has not decided how to promote the nation’s bid for observer status, a ministry official said yesterday, while its spokesman said there was a “tacit understanding” that retired officials could negotiate with Beijing although not officially authorized.
It is believed that Beijing could give in to Taiwan’s 13-year long quest for participation in the global health network at the WHA’s session in May, in response to goodwill gestures by the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
When asked whether the government hoped to receive observer status through an invitation from the WHO director-general or through a floor vote of WHA member-states, Paul Chang (章文樑), head of the Department of International Organizations, said: “We have no concrete plans, but will study the precedents.”
“We will do our best to ensure the health rights of the Taiwanese public,” Chang said.
“Negotiations are being held,” he said, but declined to specify with whom.
Chang also declined to say who the nation’s negotiators were or whether any concessions were being made to gain observer status.
The nation’s “participation in international organizations always requires special arrangements,” he said.
Media reports and academics have speculated that the government has agreed with Beijing to use “Chinese Taipei” as the nation’s designation in the WHA.
MOFA spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政) said talks with Beijing on the WHA bid were being carried out via “many unofficial channels,” including occasions such as former vice president Lien Chan’s (連戰) meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) at an APEC summit in Peru in December.
“I guess you can’t say these retired officials have been authorized to speak on Taiwan’s behalf, but there is a tacit understanding,” he said.
The Republic of China forfeited its WHO membership in 1972 after it withdrew from the UN.
Since 1997, Taiwan has sought to re-enter the organization, but has been blocked by Beijing. In 2005, Beijing signed a memorandum of understanding with the WHO restricting Taiwan’s direct communication with the body.
Last month, the WHO unexpectedly informed Taiwan of its inclusion in the implementation of the International Health Framework 2005, allowing Taiwan to communicate directly with the WHO on disease outbreaks.
Chang declined yesterday to call the move a “goodwill gesture” by Beijing, but said the inclusion “is a result of efforts on all sides and of course Beijing’s attitude was a crucial element.”
The WHA has six observers: the Holy See, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the Palestinian Liberation Organization and three non-governmental organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross.
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