Policy Focus

EU deputies launch last-minute appeal for Taiwan

MEPs have made an 11th-hour appeal to the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) to grant membership to Taiwan.

The deputies spoke out on the eve of next week’s meeting in Genevaof the World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHO’s key decision-makingforum.

Because it is not part of the UN, Taiwan is not allowed membershipof the WHO, a UN-affiliated body.

But Charles Tannock, a UK Tory MEP, describes its exclusion fromboth organisations as “shameful.”

He said, “Taiwan is blocked at every turn by the People’s Republicof China (PRC) from participating fully in the international arena,whether through the WTO, the Olympics or the UN’s specialisedagencies.

“In particular, this applies to the the WHO where shamefully thePRC allows its political goals of excluding Taiwan from allinternational organisation memberships to mix with urgent publichealth concerns.”

He added, ”The international community should be doing more tousher Taiwan into the international mainstream.”

His comments are echoed by UK Conservative deputy EdwardMcMillan-Scott, a vice president of parliament, who said, “Taiwanhas a very significant contribution to make to world health issuesbut is prevented from doing so by its exclusion from the WHO.

“This is wrong not least because the reason behind it is motivatedpurely by political reasons.”

He said the reason given by the WHO for denying membership toTaiwan remains “totally inadequate.”

The Taiwan government has decided to submit two bids to next week’smeeting in Geneva regarding Taiwan's participation in the worldhealth network.

One seeks participation in the WHO as a full member and the otherseeks recognition as an observer, both under the name Taiwan.

Taiwan’s deputy health minister Chen Tzay-jinn, who has led ahigh-level delegation to the Swiss city for the four-day annualassembly, said Taiwan should “not be quiet” about the fact that ithas been excluded from the world's health network and the globaldisease reporting system for decades.

He called on "everyone in Taiwan" to go to Geneva, where the WHOheadquarters are located, and to New York, where the UN has itsheadquarters, at least once in their lives to express their hopesof Taiwan being allowed into the two internationalorganisations.

Meanwhile, Michael Kau, Taiwan’s representative to the EU andBelgium, says his country is “living in limbo” because it is notrecognised by the United Nations.

Speaking in parliament on Thursday, Kau pointed out that the EU,while maintaining its support for the One China policy, isrepresented in Taipei and allows Taiwan to have an office inBrussels.

An example of its international isolation, he said, was Taiwan’scontinued exclusion from the WHO. “We can contribute a lot to theworld health system but are currently prevented from doing so,” hesaid.

He was speaking at a hearing, organised by the ALDE group, onso-called ‘de facto’ independent states.

Marino Busdachin, secretary general of a group called‘Unrepresented Nations and People’s Organisation,’ said, “De factostates can be seen as occupying a sort of ‘no man’s land’.

“De facto states are actively trying to be incorporated into theinternational legal system . Why then, could Taiwan become a memberof the World Trade Organisation but is denied full membershipof the WHO?

“It is a shame that countries like Taiwan, which are democratic andrespect international law, are banned by the UN.”