With the World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting in Geneva just over a month away, a high-ranking official fresh from a lobbying effort in Europe said yesterday that he was optimistic about the nation's bid this year to become a World Health Organization (WHO) observer.
"It's been quite positive. Everyone was rather sympathetic. But the problem is to find a proper solution," Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Kau (高英茂) said.
Kau, who has conducted lobbying efforts in France, Italy and other European countries, dubbed his work "quiet diplomacy."
Kau said the government's handling of the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak has been an asset to Taiwan's WHO bid.
"The overall international scenario is to our advantage, especially in the wake of the outbreak of SARS," Kau said.
"Justice and legitimacy are on our side," he said.
But Kau admitted the "political will" by major countries to back Taipei's bid is key to the success of its attempt to become an observer at the WHA, the WHO's highest decision-making body.
The assembly will meet in Geneva beginning May 19.
Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) yesterday dubbed the WHO's treatment of Taiwan's request for help in combatting SARS as "unfair."
Chien said the WHO bid has nothing to do with what he dubbed the "diplomatic and political interest" of the country, adding the move is to ensure that the health of people of Taiwan is safeguarded.
There has been a growing number of calls in the international media for support for Taiwan's bid to join the WHO umbrella in the wake of the SARS outbreak.
"Taiwan should be admitted to the WHO on an expedited basis so that if the disease spreads no opportunity to save lives is lost," an editorial in the March 18 edition of the Asian Wall Street Journal said.
In related news, the Alliance of Medical Associations in the Taichung Area has planned a mass rally for tomorrow to drum up support for the WHO bid.
Other social activist groups and elected officials are expected to take part in the rally, which will kick off at Tunghai University campus tomorrow morning, an alliance spokesman said yesterday.
Taiwan needs to be integrated into the world medical system governed and regulated by the WHO, the spokesman said, adding that excluding the country from the WHO is tantamount to denying it access to proper medical attention.
During the rally, the alliance will also hold a signature drive as part of its appeal to the WHO, he said.
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
Renovations on the B3 concourse of Taipei Main Station are to begin on Nov. 1, with travelers advised to use entrances near the Taiwan Railway or high-speed rail platforms or information counter to access the MRT’s Red Line. Construction is to be completed before the end of next year, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said last week. To reduce the impact on travelers, the NT$95 million (US$2.95 million) project is to be completed in four stages, it said. In the first stage, the hall leading to the Blue Line near the art exhibition area is to be closed from Nov. 1 to the end
Taipei’s Ximending (西門町) shopping area welcomed the most international visitors, followed by Taipei 101, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園), a list of the city’s most popular tourist attractions published by the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism showed. As of August, 69.22 million people had visited Taipei’s main tourism spots, a 76 percent increase from 39.33 million in the same period last year, department data showed. Ximending had 20.21 million visitors, followed by Taipei 101 at 8.09 million, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park at 6.28 million, Yangmingshan at 4.51 million and the Red House Theater (西門紅樓) in
WARNING: Domestic coffee producers mainly grow arabica beans, as they self-pollinate, but they are more likely to have consistency issues, an expert said Taiwan ranks third in coffee consumption per capita in Asia, the latest Ministry of Agriculture data showed. Taiwanese consume 1.77kg, or 177 cups of coffee, per person each year, less only than Japan and South Korea, at 600 cups and 400 cups respectively, the ministry’s Tea and Beverage Research Station said. Although the nation mainly relies on imported coffee, there has been an increase in home-grown coffee bean production, the ministry said. Cuttings and other techniques are commonly used to ensure domestic beans have stronger floral and fruity flavors, it said. It is a fast-expanding market with Taiwan’s coffee consumption
RSS