S. 812 

One Hundred Seventeenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two 

An Act 

To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain observer status 

for Taiwan in the World Health Organization, and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE WORLD HEALTH 

ORGANIZATION. 

(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following findings: 

(1) The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized 

agency of the United Nations, charged with coordinating health 

efforts within the United Nations system. The World Health 

Assembly (WHA) is the decision-making body of the WHO, 

which convenes annually in May to set the policies and priorities of the organization. Statehood is not a requirement for 

attendance at the WHA, and numerous observers, including 

non-members and non-governmental organizations, attended 

the most recent virtual WHA in May 2020. 

(2) Taiwan began seeking to participate in the WHO as 

an observer in 1997. In 2009, with strong support from successive United States Administrations, Congress, and like-minded 

WHO Member States, and during a period of improved CrossStrait relations, Taiwan received an invitation to attend the 

WHA as an observer under the name ‘‘Chinese Taipei’’. Taiwan 

received the same invitation each year until 2016, when following the election of President Tsai-Ing Wen of the Democratic 

Progressive Party, Taiwan’s engagement in the international 

community began facing increased resistance from the People’s 

Republic of China (PRC). Taiwan’s invitation to the 2016 WHA 

was received late and included new language conditioning Taiwan’s participation on the PRC’s ‘‘one China principle’’. The 

WHO did not invite Taiwan to attend the WHA as an observer 

in 2017, 2018, 2019, or 2020. 

(3) Taiwan remains a model contributor to world health, 

having provided financial and technical assistance to respond 

to numerous global health challenges. Taiwan has invested 

over $6,000,000,000 in international medical and humanitarian 

aid efforts impacting over 80 countries since 1996. In 2014, 

Taiwan responded to the Ebola crisis by donating $1,000,000 

and providing 100,000 sets of personal protective equipment. 

Through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, the 

United States and Taiwan have jointly conducted training programs for experts to combat MERS, Dengue Fever, and Zika. 

In 2020, after successfully containing the spread of the novel 
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coronavirus within its borders while upholding democratic principles, Taiwan generously donated millions of pieces of personal 

protective equipment and COVID–19 tests to countries in need. 

These diseases know no borders, and Taiwan’s needless exclusion from global health cooperation increases the dangers presented by global pandemics. 

(4) Taiwan’s international engagement has faced increased 

resistance from the PRC. Taiwan was not invited to the 2016 

Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization 

(ICAO), despite participating as a guest at the organization’s 

prior summit in 2013. Taiwan’s requests to participate in the 

General Assembly of the International Criminal Police 

Organization (INTERPOL) have also been rejected. In May 

2017, PRC delegates disrupted a meeting of the Kimberley 

Process on conflict diamonds held in Perth, Australia, until 

delegates from Taiwan were asked to leave. Since 2016, the 

Democratic Republic of Sa ̃o Tome ́ and Prı ́ncipe, the Republic 

of Panama, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, the 

Republic of El Salvador, the Solomon Islands, and the Republic 

of Kiribati have terminated longstanding diplomatic relationships with Taiwan and granted diplomatic recognition to the 

PRC. 

(5) Congress has established a policy of support for Taiwan’s participation in international bodies that address shared 

transnational challenges, particularly in the WHO. Congress 

passed H.R. 1794 in the 106th Congress, H.R. 428 in the 

107th Congress, and S. 2092 in the 108th Congress to direct 

the Secretary of State to establish a strategy for, and to report 

annually to Congress on, efforts to obtain observer status for 

Taiwan at the WHA. Congress also passed H.R. 1151 in the 

113th Congress, directing the Secretary to report on a strategy 

to gain observer status for Taiwan at the ICAO Assembly, 

and H.R. 1853 in the 114th Congress, directing the Secretary 

to report on a strategy to gain observer status for Taiwan 

at the INTERPOL Assembly. However, since 2016, Taiwan 

has not received an invitation to attend any of these events 

as an observer. 

(b) AUGMENTATION OF REPORT CONCERNING THE PARTICIPATION

OF TAIWAN IN THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (c) of section 1 of the Act 

entitled, ‘‘To address the participation of Taiwan in the World 

Health Organization’’ (Public Law 108–235; 22 U.S.C. 290 note) 

is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(3) An account of the changes and improvements the Secretary of State has made to the United States plan to endorse 

and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the World Health 

Assembly, following any annual meetings of the World Health 

Assembly at which Taiwan did not obtain observer status.’’. 

(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by paragraph 

(1) shall take effect and apply beginning with the first report 

required under subsection (c) of section 1 of the Act entitled, 

‘‘To address the participation of Taiwan in the World Health 
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Organization’’ (Public Law 108–235; 22 U.S.C. 290 note) that 

is submitted after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.