House Resolution 157 - Introduced PAG LIN H.R. ________ S.R. ________ 1 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 1 2 BY BELL, GIPP, BAILEY, 1 3 ROBERTS, and H. MILLER 1 4 A Resolution supporting a proposal to invite the 1 5 Republic of China (Taiwan) to participate in the 1 6 upcoming meeting of the World Health Assembly as an 1 7 observer. 1 8 WHEREAS, the sixty=first World Health Assembly 1 9 meeting is scheduled to take place May 19 through 24, 1 10 2008, in Geneva, Switzerland; and 1 11 WHEREAS, the Republic of China, commonly known as 1 12 Taiwan, was a founding member of the World Health 1 13 Organization and participated for 24 years as a full 1 14 member contributing to achieving the organization's 1 15 objectives; and 1 16 WHEREAS, in 1972, in the wake of the admission of 1 17 the People's Republic of China to the United Nations, 1 18 Taiwan's membership in the World Health Organization 1 19 was discontinued; and 1 20 WHEREAS, Taiwanese health officials and medical 1 21 professionals have been unable to participate in World 1 22 Health Organization forums and workshops regarding 1 23 technological advances in the diagnosis, monitoring, 1 24 and control of diseases since 1972, and have been 1 25 denied the right to maintain contact and coordination 1 26 with the World Health Organization in emergency 1 27 situations involving the containment and cure of 1 28 existing and newly emerging infectious diseases; and 1 29 WHEREAS, Taiwan's location at the juncture of 1 30 important maritime routes between northeast and 2 1 southeast Asia has resulted in extensive world trade 2 2 with Taiwan, a thriving Taiwanese tourism industry, 2 3 and a large foreign migrant worker population in 2 4 Taiwan; and 2 5 WHEREAS, Taiwan's absence from the World Health 2 6 Organization system has become a missing link in the 2 7 global framework of providing health and medical care; 2 8 and 2 9 WHEREAS, the granting of observer status to Taiwan 2 10 would not constitute a challenge to representation by 2 11 the People's Republic of China in the World Health 2 12 Organization and would demonstrate that the 2 13 organization is inclusive with regard to Taiwan's 23 2 14 million inhabitants; and 2 15 WHEREAS, as a democratically elected government, 2 16 the government of Taiwan has a duty and responsibility 2 17 to ensure that the people of Taiwan are represented in 2 18 an organization which establishes and oversees an 2 19 international framework for the control of disease and 2 20 the promotion of universal health; and 2 21 WHEREAS, Taiwan has made substantial progress in 2 22 the health field, has one of the highest life 2 23 expectancy rates in Asia, has maternal and infant 2 24 mortality rates comparable to those in western 2 25 countries, has eradicated infectious diseases such as 2 26 cholera, smallpox, and the plague, and has been the 2 27 first country in the region to eradicate polio and 2 28 provide children with hepatitis B vaccinations; and 2 29 WHEREAS, Taiwan has expressed a willingness in 2 30 recent years to provide financial and technological 3 1 assistance in international aid and health activities 3 2 supported by the World Health Organization; NOW 3 3 THEREFORE, 3 4 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 3 5 That the House of Representatives supports the 3 6 granting of observer status to Taiwan during the World 3 7 Health Assembly to be held in May 2008; and 3 8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That an official copy of 3 9 this Resolution be prepared and forwarded by the Chief 3 10 Clerk of the House of Representatives to the governing 3 11 authority and member states of the World Health 3 12 Organization, the World Health Assembly, and the 3 13 governments of Taiwan and of the People's Republic of 3 14 China. 3 15 LSB 6577HH 82 3 16 rn/rj/8