H. R. 1794

One Hundred Sixth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,

the sixth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine

An Act

Concerning the participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization (WHO).

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CONCERNING THE PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO).

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

(1) Good health is a basic right for every citizen of the

world and access to the highest standards of health information

and services is necessary to help guarantee this right.

(2) Direct and unobstructed participation in international

health cooperation forums and programs is therefore crucial,

especially with today’s greater potential for the cross-border

spread of various infectious diseases such as AIDS.

(3) The World Health Organization (WHO) set forth in

the first chapter of its charter the objective of attaining the

highest possible level of health for all people.

(4) In 1977, the World Health Organization established

‘‘Health For All By The Year 2000’’ as its overriding priority

and reaffirmed that central vision with the initiation of its

‘‘Health For All’’ renewal process in 1995.

(5) Taiwan’s population of 21,000,000 people is larger than

that of three-fourths of the member states already in the World

Health Organization.

(6) Taiwan’s achievements in the field of health are

substantial, including one of the highest life expectancy levels

in Asia, maternal and infant mortality rates comparable to

those of western countries, the eradication of such infectious

diseases as cholera, smallpox, and the plague, and the first

to be rid of polio and provide children with free hepatitis

B vaccinations.

(7) The World Health Organization was unable to assist

Taiwan with an outbreak of enterovirus 71 which killed 70

Taiwanese children and infected more than 1,100 Taiwanese

children in 1998.

(8) In recent years Taiwan has expressed a willingness

to assist financially or technically in WHO-supported international aid and health activities, but has ultimately been

unable to render such assistance.

(9) The World Health Organization allows observers to

participate in the activities of the organization.

(10) The United States, in the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review,

declared its intention to support Taiwan’s participation in

appropriate international organizations.
H. R. 1794—2

(11) In light of all of the benefits that Taiwan’s participation

in the World Health Organization could bring to the state

of health not only in Taiwan, but also regionally and globally,

Taiwan and its 21,000,000 people should have appropriate and

meaningful participation in the World Health Organization.

(b) REPORT.—Not later than January 1, 2000, the Secretary

of State shall submit a report to the Congress on the efforts of

the Secretary to fulfill the commitment made in the 1994 Taiwan

Policy Review to more actively support Taiwan’s participation in

international organizations, in particular the World Health

Organization (WHO).

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.