No one should be excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA), Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan is capable and willing to be a member of the global health forum.
Hsiao made the remark in a speech at the Aesthetic Medicine World Congress and Taiwan Dermatology Aesthetics Conference (AMWC Asia-TDAC) in Taipei.
The WHA, the annual meeting of the WHO’s decisionmaking body, is scheduled to begin its first day in Geneva, Switzerland, today, but as of yesterday, Taiwan has not received an invitation to participate as an observer.
Photo: CNA
Hsiao said that the AMWC Asia-TDAC provides an opportunity for experts from various fields to learn from each other and facilitate interdisciplinary cooperation, integrating medical knowledge from different dermatology-related fields, to create a healthier world.
Attending the conference allowed her to witness the participants’ focus and dedication to the medical fields, strengthening her belief that Taiwan can contribute to international healthcare advancement, she added.
A lesson learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that “no one should be left behind,” she said, adding that Taiwan is capable and willing to be a member of the global health forum, and that the nation’s participation in international medical and health-related communities is necessary.
Meanwhile, a governmental delegation “WHA Action Team” led by Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源), a separate promotional group led by civic organizations and a bipartisan legislative group led by Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) have arrived in Geneva to promote the country’s participation in the UN agency.
On Saturday, they attended the opening of a “World Health We Share” exhibition at Geneva Airport train station that was held to promote Taiwan’s healthcare.
Health is a fundamental human right and a universal value, but Taiwan is denied participation due to political interference, Chiu said, adding that this is deeply disappointing.
Although it was not invited to the WHA, Taiwan has strong soft power in the medical and health fields, he said, adding that he is grateful that the civic promotional team is holding an exhibition at the train station for more WHA attendees to learn about Taiwan’s healthcare capabilities.
Taiwan participated in the WHA from 2009 to 2016 as an observer under the name “Chinese Taipei” when relations with China under the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration were better.
Since the Democratic Progressive Party took power in 2016, relations with China have deteriorated, and Beijing has blocked Taiwan’s attempts to participate in UN-affiliated organizations.
Facing China’s suppression, several democratic countries have voiced support for Taiwan’s participation.
Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi on Friday said that the G7 countries, including Japan, have expressed their support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the WHA.
Some of the items that would be discusses at this year’s WHA include the global health governance framework, climate change and health, the 14th General Programme of Work as well as whether Taiwan should be invited to participate as an observer.
As some of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies have called for a motion on Taiwan’s inclusion on the agenda of the WHA, a review on whether to include the issue in the agenda would be held at the WHA General Committee at 8:30pm Taiwan time today.
Additional reporting by Yang Yao-ru and CNA
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