Statement on Taiwan’s Participation in the World Health Assembly and World Health Organization
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China urges the World Health Organization (WHO) to accept Taiwan’s participation in the upcoming World Health Assembly and full inclusion in WHO meetings, mechanisms and activities.
Taiwan’s control of the outbreak presents a successful model that others around the world can aspire to. Case numbers and deaths have remained low throughout, with Taiwan having recently marked 200 days without a single case of domestic infection. The resulting low impact on the economy and people’s way of life is desired by governments and citizens everywhere.
The international community needs the world leading expertise Taiwan has developed to control the virus. Taiwan has unique contributions to offer in the advanced production of critical medical supplies, application of strenuous contact tracing, and the use of big data and digital technology. World leaders have praised Taiwan for its willingness to donate personal protective equipment and other medical technologies to countries in their time of need.
Despite this, Taiwan’s participation in the WHO repeatedly faces obstacles. The WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) still refuses to contact or interact with Taiwan. Taiwan also has no access to WHO COVID-19 Reference Laboratory Networks. Over 70% of Taiwan’s applications to attend technical meetings have been denied. This not only threatens the health and wellbeing of Taiwan’s citizens, but also creates a dangerous gap in the global network.
We urge the WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to consider his own words when he said that ‘No one is safe until everyone is safe,’ and apply that to Taiwan immediately. As the world unites to defeat this virus, we cannot afford for Taiwan to be left behind.
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