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 inter-
national 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.