Taiwan to participate as 'observer' at decision making body of WHO's World Health Assembly

Taiwan, on May 7, expressed gratitude to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken after Washington extended its support for Taipei's bid at the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision making body of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan said that excluding a "vibrant democracy" while jeopardising global health is wrong, especially at the behest of China. Taiwan Foreign Ministry took to Twitter to explain its appreciation: 

Taiwan is a 'vibrant democracy'

Earlier today, the United States called upon the WHO to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer at the upcoming annual meet the WHA, saying there is "no reasonable justification" for Taipei's continued exclusion from the forum. Blinken said in a statement, 

"There is no reasonable justification for Taiwan's continued exclusion from this forum, and the United States calls upon the WHO Director-General to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer at the WHA- as it is in previous years, prior to objections registered by the government of the People's Republic of China."

Emphasizing on challenges of global health and global health security that do not respect borders nor recognize political disputes, Blinken said that Taiwan offers valuable contributions and lessons learned from its approach to these issues. According to Blinken, Taiwan is a reliable partner, a vibrant democracy, and a force for good in the world, and its exclusion from the WHA would be detrimental to collective international efforts to get the pandemic under control and prevent future health crises. We urge Taiwan’s immediate invitation to the World Health Assembly.

"Taiwan offers valuable contributions and lessons learned from its approach to these issues, and WHO leadership and all responsible nations should recognize that excluding the interests of 24 million people at the WHA serves only to imperil, not advance, our shared global health objectives."

The WHA is set to hold its 74th annual meeting virtually from Geneva, Switzerland, from May 24 to June 1.

Recently, Foreign Ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries have come out in support of Taiwan's observer status in the decision-making body of the WHO. The Beijing government has been blocking Taiwan's representation at WHO meetings, after a self-ruled democracy elected Tsai Ing-wen as Taiwan's President in 2016 and again in 2020. Taiwan has some of the world’s leading experts in combating the disease and everyone needs to hear from the island at the WHA. 

Delegates of Taiwan, attended the WHA as nonvoting observers from 2009 to 2016, during a period of relatively cordial ties between Beijing and Taipei.