Taiwan’s bid for observer status at the 71st World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, won strong public backing May 8 from like-minded partners the U.S. and EU.
The U.S. strongly supports Taiwan’s participation as an observer in the WHA and will continue urging the WHO to extend it an invitation, the American Institute in Taiwan said in a statement posted on its official Facebook page.
According to the AIT, the U.S. is “greatly dismayed” that China has once again blocked Taiwan from receiving an invitation to attend. Taiwan is committed to global health and the U.S. believes it should not be excluded from these critical discussions, the institute said.
The statement follows a speech by AIT Chairman James Moriarty May 3 at Stanford University urging Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, including the May 21-26 WHA in Geneva.
Moriarty said Taiwan should be able to contribute its expertise and experience. Public health is one prominent example of a sector where it is in everyone’s interest for Taiwan to play a role in addressing global public health challenges, he added.
These sentiments were echoed by Maja Kocijancic, a spokesperson for the EU’s European External Action Service, during an interview in Brussels. She said the EU supports practical solutions regarding Taiwan’s participation in international frameworks, and its attendance at WHA and WHO technical meetings is welcomed and in line with EU policy.
As part of government efforts to share Taiwan’s medical expertise with WHO member states, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung will lead a delegation to Geneva for a series of WHA sideline meetings involving public and private sector representatives, as well as health care professionals.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan participated as an observer in the annual WHA from 2009 to 2016 after 38 years of exclusion. Its involvement is widely acknowledged as helping strengthen global disease prevention efforts and safeguarding global health. (SFC-E)
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