A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting.
The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer.
Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s recommendation “not to include the proposed supplementary agenda item.”
The decision meant that Taiwan was left out of the WHA for the ninth year in a row.
Chen Xu (陳旭), China’s permanent representative to the UN office at Geneva, cited UN Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1 to argue that China fully represents Taiwan and that raising the issue of Taiwan’s participation amounts to interference in China’s internal affairs.
Zaman Mehdi, Pakistan’s deputy permanent representative to the UN office at Geneva, reaffirmed his country’s support for Beijing’s “one China” principle, as well as its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Belize and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — two of Taiwan’s 12 diplomatic allies — laid out their reasons for supporting Taiwan’s inclusion in the WHA.
However, this year they shifted their focus from praising Taiwan’s public health contributions to challenging China’s interpretation of UN Resolution 2758.
Belizean Minister of Health and Wellness Kevin Bernard said that the two resolutions “do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities.”
“These resolutions do not justify the exclusion of Taiwan, nor do they grant China the right to represent the Taiwanese people. The government of the People’s Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan,” he said.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment St Clair Prince said that the resolutions do not mention Taiwan, “nor do they confirm Taiwan to be part of any other nation.”
“Hence, these resolutions have nothing to do with and do not address the issue of Taiwan’s representation in the UN system,” Prince said.
Taiwan was invited to attend the WHA as an observer for eight years from 2009 to 2016, but that arrangement was “unfortunately discontinued for political and not health reasons,” he said.
With Taiwan’s last chance to participate at this year’s WHA ruled out, Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) is expected to submit a formal letter of protest to the WHO, in line with past practice.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “strongly condemned” the opposition of China and Pakistan, which neglects the basic rights of Taiwanese to participate in international affairs.
On the first day of the assembly, representatives of Germany, France, Japan and New Zealand, as well as allies Haiti and the Marshall Islands, voiced support for Taiwan’s participation.
“To respond to health emergencies, we should learn from regions that have achieved remarkable public health results, such as Taiwan,” Japanese State Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Hirobumi Niki said.
Everyone’s expertise is needed, including Taiwan’s, to realize this year’s WHA theme of “One World for Health,” German Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken said.
Separately, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) reiterated that the US would continue to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.
Taiwan is a reliable and capable partner, including in global health security, and provides significant and sustainable benefits to the citizens of many countries, an AIT spokesperson said.
Additional reporting by Huang Ching-hsuan
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