Taiwan denounces continued exclusion of the country by the WHA

The Taiwanese Government has announced its deep dissatisfaction with the decision of the World Health Organization (WHO) not to invite Taiwan to attend the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) being held in Geneva.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), eleven of the nation’s allies submitted a proposal on the opening day of the AMS requesting Taiwan’s participation as an observer. The health ministers of Belize, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia and the Marshall Islands entered into discussions with China, Cuba and Pakistan to defend the case, but the WHO declined to include the proposal on the agenda, the ministry denounced.

The ministers stressed that Taiwan’s participation in the WHA is crucial and imperative given its experience and resources. They affirmed that the country has the capacity to significantly improve the global health system, make the world healthier, more resilient and equitable and help achieve the goal of “all for health, health for all.”

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China deliberately misinterprets United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1 to promote its one-China principle, MOFA said, but the two resolutions do not recognize Taiwan as a party of China, nor do they authorize China to represent Taiwan in the UN system. Beijing’s views do not constitute the global consensus, the ministry stressed.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) and China are not subordinate to each other, and only the nation’s democratically elected government can protect the right to health of its people and represent them at the UN and other world organizations, MOFA stated. , adding that China has no right to interfere or limit Taiwan’s global participation.

The ministry also thanked Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the European Union and the United Kingdom for their advocacy of Taiwan during the opening day general assembly. The Government will continue to work with like-minded partners to promote global health, he said, calling on the WHO to grant Taiwan observer status in the WHA, as well as access to all its activities, mechanisms and meetings.