S. 2092

One Hundred Eighth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

the twentieth day of January, two thousand and four

An Act

To address the participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization.

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.

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

(1) Good health is important to every citizen of the world

and access to the highest standards of health information and

services is necessary to improve the public health.

(2) Direct and unobstructed participation in international

health cooperation forums and programs is beneficial for all

parts of the world, especially today with the great potential

for the cross-border spread of various infectious diseases such

as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, and

malaria.

(3) Taiwan’s population of 23,500,000 people is greater

than that of 3⁄4 of the member states already in the World

Health Organization (WHO).

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

substantial, including—

(A) attaining—

(i) 1 of the highest life expectancy levels in Asia;

and

(ii) maternal and infant mortality rates comparable

to those of western countries;

(B) eradicating such infectious diseases as cholera,

smallpox, the plague, and polio; and

(C) providing children with hepatitis B vaccinations.

(5) The United States Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention and its counterpart agencies in Taiwan have enjoyed

close collaboration on a wide range of public health issues.

(6) In recent years Taiwan has expressed a willingness

to assist financially and technically in international aid and

health activities supported by the WHO.

(7) On January 14, 2001, an earthquake, registering

between 7.6 and 7.9 on the Richter scale, struck El Salvador.

In response, the Taiwanese Government sent 2 rescue teams,

consisting of 90 individuals specializing in firefighting, medicine, and civil engineering. The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign

Affairs also donated $200,000 in relief aid to the Salvadoran

Government.

(8) The World Health Assembly has allowed observers to

participate in the activities of the organization, including the
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Palestine Liberation Organization in 1974, the Order of Malta,

and the Holy See in the early 1950’s.

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

declared its intention to support Taiwan’s participation in

appropriate international organizations.

(10) Public Law 106–137 required the Secretary of State

to submit a report to Congress on efforts by the executive

branch to support Taiwan’s participation in international

organizations, in particular the WHO.

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

in the WHO can bring to the state of health not only in

Taiwan, but also regionally and globally, Taiwan and its

23,500,000 people should have appropriate and meaningful

participation in the WHO.

(12) On May 11, 2001, President Bush stated in a letter

to Senator Murkowski that the United States ‘‘should find

opportunities for Taiwan’s voice to be heard in international

organizations in order to make a contribution, even if membership is not possible’’, further stating that the administration

‘‘has focused on finding concrete ways for Taiwan to benefit

and contribute to the WHO’’.

(13) In his speech made in the World Medical Association

on May 14, 2002, Secretary of Health and Human Services

Tommy Thompson announced ‘‘America’s work for a healthy

world cuts across political lines. That is why my government

supports Taiwan’s efforts to gain observership status at the

World Health Assembly. We know this is a controversial issue,

but we do not shrink from taking a public stance on it. The

people of Taiwan deserve the same level of public health as

citizens of every nation on earth, and we support them in

their efforts to achieve it’’.

(14) The Government of the Republic of China on 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 in December 2002.

(15) In 2003, the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory

Syndrome (SARS) caused 84 deaths in Taiwan.

(16) Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has

reemerged in Asia, with strains of the influenza reported by

the People’s Republic of China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan,

Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos.

(17) The SARS and avian influenza outbreaks illustrate

that disease knows no boundaries and emphasize the importance of allowing all people access to the WHO.

(18) As the pace of globalization quickens and the spread

of infectious disease accelerates, it is crucial that all people,

including the people of Taiwan, be given the opportunity to

participate in international health organizations such as the

WHO.

(19) The Secretary of Health and Human Services acknowledged during the 2003 World Health Assembly meeting that

‘‘[t]he need for effective public health exists among all peoples’’.

(b) PLAN.—The Secretary of State is authorized to—

(1) initiate a United States plan to endorse and obtain

observer status for Taiwan at the annual week-long summit
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of the World Health Assembly each year in Geneva, Switzerland;

(2) instruct the United States delegation to the World

Health Assembly in Geneva to implement that plan; and

(3) introduce a resolution in support of observer status

for Taiwan at the summit of the World Health Assembly.

(c) REPORT CONCERNING OBSERVER STATUS FOR TAIWAN AT

THE SUMMIT OF THE WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY.—Not later than

30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not

later than April 1 of each year thereafter, the Secretary of State

shall submit a report to the Congress, in unclassified form,

describing the United States plan to endorse and obtain observer

status for Taiwan at the annual week-long summit of the World

Health Assembly (WHA) held by the World Health Organization

(WHO) in May of each year in Geneva, Switzerland. Each report

shall include the following:

(1) An account of the efforts the Secretary of State has

made, following the last meeting of the World Health Assembly,

to encourage WHO member states to promote Taiwan’s bid

to obtain observer status.

(2) The steps the Secretary of State will take to endorse

and obtain observer status at the next annual meeting of the

World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.