12 March 2003
House Passes Bill Promoting WHO Observer Status for Taiwan
(HR 441 passed March 11 in 414-0 vote) (1780) The House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill March 11 authorizing the United States to seek observer status for Taiwan within the World Health Organization (WHO). The bill, HR 441, calls upon the Bush administration to make a concerted effort to ensure Taiwan's participation as an observer at the upcoming World Health Organization's annual assembly this May in Geneva, Switzerland. The House of Representatives passed HR 441 with a vote of 414-0. "It is terribly unfortunate that even though Taiwan's achievements in the medical fields are substantial, and it has expressed a repeated willingness to assist both financially and technically in WHO activities, it has not been allowed to do so because of strenuous opposition from the Communist Chinese dictatorship," said Representative Steve Chabot (Republican of Ohio). Observer status for Taiwan will not come easy, cautioned Representative Tom Lantos (Democrat of California), due to this opposition from the People's Republic of China. Nonetheless, Lantos said, "the facts in support of Taiwan's case are clear and compelling, and support will undoubtedly build over time with active American engagement." Taiwan, he continued, "is a beacon of democracy for people around the globe," while the Taipei government has "the resources and the expertise to make a significant contribution to the work of the World Health Organization." Representative David Wu (Democrat of Oregon) said he strongly condemns Taiwan's exclusion from the WHO. Wu, who was born on Taiwan and immigrated to the United States as a child, noted that while nationhood is a WHO membership requirement, the organization does provide observer status to such entities as the Vatican, the Knights of Malta, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Following is the text of HR 441 and remarks during the debate on the bill from the March 11 Congressional Record: (begin text) OBSERVER STATUS FOR TAIWAN AT WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY IN MAY 2003 IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND House of Representatives March 11, 2003 H.R. 441 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS TO PUBLIC LAW 107-10. (a) FINDINGS.--Section 1(a) of Public Law 107-10 (115 Stat. 17) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(14) The government of Taiwan, in response to an appeal from the United Nations and the United States for resources to control the spread of HIV/AIDS, donated $1,000,000 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.''. (b) PLAN.--Section 1(b)(1) of Public Law 107-10 (115 Stat. 17) is amended by striking ``May 2002'' and inserting ``May 2003''. Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I want to express my strong support for this legislation, Madam Speaker. My friend, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), has worked long and hard to make Taiwan's participation in the WHO a reality, and we also want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) for his leadership in this area as well. As in years past, I am pleased to join with them in this effort. The good people of Taiwan have a great deal to offer the international community. It is terribly unfortunate that even though Taiwan's achievements in the medical fields are substantial, and it has expressed a repeated willingness to assist both financially and technically in WHO activities, it has not been allowed to do so because of strenuous opposition from the Communist Chinese dictatorship. My colleagues may recall the travesty that occurred back in 1998, when Taiwan suffered from a serious entovirus outbreak which killed 70 Taiwanese children and infected more than a thousand. The WHO was unable to help. In 1999, a tragic earthquake in Taiwan claimed more than 2,000 lives. Sadly, we learned in published news reports that the People's Republic of China demanded that any aid for Taiwan provided by the United Nations and the Red Cross receive prior approval from the dictators in Beijing. Yet when other nations face similar crises, Taiwan stands ready to help. Our friends in Taiwan were among the first to offer assistance to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on our Nation. They provided generous humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. They have been leaders in addressing global health issues and as this legislation notes, ``The government of Taiwan, in response to an appeal of the United Nations and from the United States for resources to control the spread of HIV/AIDS, donated $1 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.'' Madam Speaker, many of us have been disappointed by our government's lack of effort to assist Taiwan in its attempts to obtain WHO observer status at the annual World Health Assembly in Geneva. We have expressed our concerns to the State Department, and most recently, a bipartisan group of 64 Members of this body sought the personal assistance of Secretary Powell in this matter. We are hopeful that our delegation to the upcoming Geneva conference will stand strongly in favor of Taiwan's candidacy. . . . Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 441, and urge all of my colleagues to do so as well. I would like to commend my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) for his persistence in pushing for Taiwan's observer status at the World Health Organization. I also wish to acknowledge the chairmanship of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) on this critically important subject, and that of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot). Madam Speaker, by battling the spread of infectious diseases and increasing the quality of health care to the global community, the World Health Organization makes a significant contribution to our national security. As we meet in this Chamber today, the WHO is dealing with an outbreak of Ebola in Africa, implementing new strategies to stop the spread of the deadly HIV/AIDS virus, and teaching the developing world how to stop the transmission of tuberculosis. Madam Speaker, the fight for quality health care around the globe will never cease. As a result, the World Health Organization and its member countries must look for help from every nation to strengthen the work of the organization. Unfortunately, strong and consistent opposition from the Chinese government in Beijing has repeatedly stopped the people of Taiwan from contributing to the work of the WHO. It is true that observer status for Taiwan will not come easy. Beijing holds sway over many WHO members, but the facts in support of Taiwan's case are clear and compelling, and support will undoubtedly build over time with active American engagement. Taiwan is one of our strongest allies in the Asia Pacific region. It is a beacon of democracy for people around the globe. Taiwan has the resources and the expertise to make a significant contribution to the work of the World Health Organization. The case for Taiwan as a member of WHO is clear and compelling, and I hope our administration will actively support this important initiative. I strongly support H.R. 441. I urge all of my colleagues to do so as well. Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 441, and I would like to thank my colleagues on the International Relations Committee and the Congressional Taiwan Caucus for their support as well. For the past few years, we have been pushing for Taiwan's observer status at the WHO. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starting to experience deja-vu on this issue. Congress has addressed this several times, and I will continue to raise it until we have a resolution. The World Health Organization makes a major contribution to the international community each and every day. The WHO has programs to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, to support the development of basic health care services throughout the developing world, and to provide humanitarian aid to those in need. In this growing struggle, the WHO and its member countries should be looking for help wherever they can get it. Unfortunately, Taiwan's efforts to obtain observer status to the annual World Health Assembly meetings in Geneva have been blocked. While the Administration has indicated support for Taiwan's bid for WHO observer status, it is unwilling to match the rhetoric with action. The State Department argues that the majority of WHO members would never support observer status for Taiwan, and therefore the U.S. shouldn't make a concerted effort on Taiwan's behalf. Well I say, let's find out. The Administration must make a concerted effort to ensure Taiwan's participation in the WHO. The bid may fail, but Taiwan won't be allowed to participate if we do not make the case of its involvement. Taiwan is a strong, democratic ally. It has developmental and humanitarian resources that would make a substantial contribution to the WHO's mission. The people of Taiwan are volunteering these resources to fight global epidemics, and we are turning them away at the door. They have demonstrated this time after time--in Haiti; in El Salvador; and more recently by contributing a million dollars to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The world needs all the help it can get. Taiwan is not asking to join the WHO as a state, but rather as an observer. The case for observer status at the WHO is clear, and the Bush Administration should make it happen. I strongly support H.R. 441, and urge my colleagues to do so as well. Mr. WU. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support to H.R. 441, a bill to authorize the United States to seek observer status for Taiwan within the World Health Organization (WHO). Every May, the World Health Assembly meets to consider the acceptance of new members to the WHO. Unfortunately, even as Taiwan is among the leaders in Asia in important health indicators, such as life expectancy and infant mortality, it is unable to contribute to the WHO. While nationhood is a membership requirement, the WHO does provide observer status to such entities as the Vatican, the Knights of Malta, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. As a self-governing and democratic island of twenty-three million people, and as a potential member with a great deal to contribute to the WHO, I strongly support WHO observer status for Taiwan. As we once again approach the annual World Health Assembly, I urge Secretary Colin Powell and Secretary Tommy Thompson to work with our friends around the world to obtain WHO observer status for Taiwan. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on H.R. 441. (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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