Taiwan has yet to receive an invitation to attend this year’s session of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decisionmaking body of the WHO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
The annual conference is scheduled to take place in Geneva from May 23 to May 28.
Incoming minister of health and welfare Lin Tzou-yien (林奏延) would lead a delegation to the meeting if Taiwan is invited to attend.
However, while Lin’s name was sent to the WHO Secretariat after his appointment was confirmed on April 7, no invitation has been received, Department of International Organizations Director-General Michael Hsu (徐佩勇) said.
The WHO Secretariat is still engaged in “internal operations” and has yet to send out the invitation, Hsu said.
Asked if there were other reasons why an invitation has yet to be received, he said the process of sending an invitation is based on the internal operations of the WHO, and the ministry would not speculate on this.”
Hsu said the timing for receiving a WHO invitation varies each year and the fact that one has not been received yet does not mean it is not coming. Last year’s invitation was received at the end of April, he added.
Taiwan has attended the WHA as an observer every year since 2009.
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