A reception was hosted May 19 by Taiwan’s representative office in Geneva to promote the need for the country to participate in the activities, mechanisms and meetings of the World Health Organization.
 
Attended by Health Minister Chen Shih-chung and the visiting Taiwan delegation, the event also involved counterparts and officials from allies Belize, Guatemala, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Kingdom of Eswatini, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Paraguay, Solomon Islands, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and Grenadines and Tuvalu.
 
Prior to Chen’s departure for the Swiss metropolis, which is hosting the 72nd World Health Assembly May 20-28, he took part in a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu May 17 in Taipei City.
 
The pair expressed strong discontent with Taiwan’s noninvitation to the annual meeting of the decision-making body of the WHO, and highlighted the many ways in which Taiwan Can Help realize the U.N. agency’s primary objective of Health For All.
 
Chen urged the WHO to consider the health rights of Taiwan’s 23 million people, while Wu condemned China for barring Taiwan from the WHA on the grounds of the “one China” principle.
 
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, other activities on Chen’s agenda during his trip to Switzerland include holding talks with medical experts and officials from allies and like-minded countries, as well as leading discussions and seminars on the sidelines of the WHA.
 
Backing for Taiwan’s WHO participation is flowing in from around the world. Letters to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and statements of support have been penned by lawmakers and officials from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, the EU, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Peru, the U.K. and U.S. (SFC-E)

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