GENEVA: Health officials from the United States and the United Kingdom have spoken about inclusivity and the need for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization (WHO) during the agency’s latest Executive Board meeting.
Loyce Pace, an assistant secretary for Global Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, referred to Taiwan on Friday (local time) when discussing the need to strengthen confidence in COVID-19 vaccines, reported Focus Taiwan. According to Pace, accelerating vaccine uptake and demand is critical to achieving COVID-19 vaccination goals, to future emergency responses and to ongoing efforts to combat vaccine-preventable diseases.
“In this regard, the US appreciates the example of Taiwan in its COVID-19 response as well as its support to many around the world. We urge the WHO to be fully inclusive of all partners, including Taiwan, as we take our collective work forward in responding to global health emergencies,” Focus Taiwan reported quoting her saying.
The need for inclusiveness was echoed by Danny Andrews, who is head of Global Health at the Permanent Mission of the UK to the United Nations Office in Geneva.
Although Andrews did not specifically cite Taiwan, he emphasized the need for inclusivity in WHO governance.
“Given the impact of global health emergencies, we must draw on all voices and everyone with experiences to share to deal with health emergencies,” Andrews said.
According to the media outlet, the Executive Board meeting was held between January 24-29, also drew voices of supports for Taiwan from several of its diplomatic allies, including the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Haiti, Eswatini, Honduras, Paraguay and Guatemala, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
Like-minded partners such as Japan and France, with the latter speaking on behalf of the European Union, also made indirect statements calling on the WHO not to leave anyone behind, MOFA said. Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China, lost its seat in the United Nations in 1971 and has not been a member of any of its affiliated agencies, including the WHO since then, it added.
It was able to participate in the WHA as an observer from 2009 to 2016 when its relations with China were better, but has been blocked from the proceedings by Beijing since then as cross-Taiwan Strait ties have turned frosty. (ANI)
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