107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 428
AN ACT
Concerning the participation of Taiwan in the
World Health Organization.
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 428
AN ACT
Concerning the participation of Taiwan in the World Health
Organization.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives 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 pro-
grams is therefore crucial for all parts of the world,
especially with today’s greater potential for the
cross-border spread of various infectious diseases
such as AIDS.
(3) Taiwan’s population of 23,500,000 people is
larger 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 one of the highest life ex-
pectancy levels in Asia, maternal and infant mor-
tality rates comparable to those of western countries,
the eradication of such infectious diseases as chol-
era, smallpox, and the plague, and the first to be rid
of polio and to provide children with free hepatitis
B vaccinations.
(5) The United States Centers for Disease Con-
trol and its Taiwan counterpart agencies have en-
joyed close collaboration on a wide range of public
health issues.
(6) In recent years Taiwan has expressed a will-
ingness to assist financially and technically in inter-
national aid and health activities supported by the
WHO.
(7) On January 14, 2001, an earthquake, reg-
istering between 7.6 and 7.9 on the Richter scale,
struck El Salvador. In response, the Taiwanese gov-
ernment sent 2 rescue teams, consisting of 90 indi-
viduals 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 ob-
servers to participate in the activities of the organi-
zation, including the Palestine Liberation Organiza-
tion in 1974, the Order of Malta, and the Holy See
in the early 1950’s.
(9) The United States, in the 1994 Taiwan Pol-
icy Review, declared its intention to support Tai-
wan’s participation in appropriate international or-
ganizations.
(10) Public Law 106–137 required the Sec-
retary of State to submit a report to the Congress
on efforts by the executive branch to support Tai-
wan’s participation in international organizations, in
particular the WHO.
(11) In light of all the 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.
(b) PLAN.—The Secretary of State shall initiate a
United States plan to endorse and obtain observer status
for Taiwan at the annual week-long summit of the World
Health Assembly in May 2001 in Geneva, Switzerland,
and shall instruct the United States delegation to Geneva
to implement that plan.
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 14 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall