Public Law 117-124 passed on May 13, 2022

Participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organizations

Findings

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) is an agency of the United Nations.

  • The WHO coordinate health efforts within the United Nations system.

  • The World Health Agency (WHA) is the decision-making body of the WHO.

  • The World Health Agency meets every May to set policies and priorities of the organization.

  • Statehood is NOT A REQUIREMENT for attendance at the WHA.

  • 1997, Taiwan began seeking participation in the WHO as an observer.

  • 2009, with support from United States Administrations, Congress and like-minded WHO Member States, including an improved Cross Strait relations,Taiwan received an invitation to attend the WHA as an observer under the name “Chinese Taipei”.

  • 2016, Taiwan stopped receiving invitations as an observer to the WHA.

  • Following the election of President Tsai-Ing Wen of the Democratic Progressive Party

  • Taiwan’s engagement in the international community began facing increased resistance from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

  • 2016, Taiwan’s invitation was received late to the WHA and included new language conditioning.

  • Taiwan’s participation on the PRC’s “one China principle”.

  • 2017-2020, the WHO did not invite Taiwan to attend WHA as an observer.

  • Taiwan is a model contributor to world health, having provided financial and technical assistance to numerous global health challenges.

  • Taiwan has invested 6 BILLION DOLLARS in international medical and humanitarian aid efforts impact over 80 countries since 1996.

  • 2014, Taiwan donated 1 MILLION DOLLARS and ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND sets of personal protective equipment in response to the Ebola crisis.

  • Through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, the United States and Taiwan have jointly conducted training programs for experts to combat MERS, Dengue Fever, and Zika.

  • 2020, after successfully containing the spread of the novel coronavirus within its borders, Taiwan donated millions of personal protective equipment and COVIS-19 tests to countries in need.

  • Taiwan’s needless exclusion from global health cooperation increases the dangers presented by global pandemics.

  • Taiwan’s international engagement has faced resistance from the PRC.

  • 2016, Taiwan was NOT invited to the Assembly of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) despite participating as a guest in 2013.

  • Taiwans’ request to participate in the General Assembly of International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) has been rejected.

  • May 2017, PRC delegates disrupted a meeting of the Kimberly Process on conflict diamonds held in Perth, Australia and didn’t leave until the delegates from Taiwan left the meeting.

  • Since 2016, the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, the Republic of Panama, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, the Republic of El Salvador, the Solomon Islands, and the Republic of Kiribati have TERMINATED diplomatic relationships with Taiwan and granted diplomatic recognition to the PRC.

  • Congress established a policy to support Taiwan’s participation in international bodies that address transnational challenges, particularly in the WHO.

  • Congress passed:

    • H.R. 1794 in 106th Congress

    • H.R. 428 in 107th Congress and S. 2092 in 108th Congress-

      • to direct the Secretary of State to establish a strategy and report annually to Congress on efforts to obtain observer status for Taiwan at the WHA.

    • H.R. 1151 in 113th Congress-

      • directing the Secretary to report a strategy to gain observer status for Taiwan at the ICAO Assembly

    • H.R. 1853 in 114th Congress-

      • directing the Secretary to report a strategy to gain observer status for Taiwan at the INTERPOL Assembly.

  • Since 2016, Taiwan has NOT received an invitation to attend any of these events as an observer.

Augmentation of Report Concerning the Participation go Taiwan in the World Health Organization

“To address the participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization” (Public Law 108-235; 22 USC 290 note) amended-

    • Adding at the end of the new paragraph: “An account of the changes and improvements the Secretary of State has made to the United Stats plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the World Health Assembly, following any annual meetings of the World Health Assembly at which Taiwan did NOT obtain observer status”.

Effective Date

Amendment shall take effect and apply beginning with the first report of this Act entitled, “To address the participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization” (Public Law 108-235; 22 USC 290 note) that is submitted after the date of the enactment of this Act.