[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2092 Reported in Senate (RS)]
Calendar No. 492
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2092
To address the participation of Taiwan in the World Health
Organization.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 12, 2004
Mr. Allen (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kyl, Mr.
Lieberman, Mr. Lott, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Voinovich, Ms. Collins, Mr. Crapo,
Mr. Bond, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Chambliss, and Mr. Feingold) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Foreign Relations
April 29, 2004
Reported by Mr. Lugar, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To address the participation of Taiwan in the World Health
Organization.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. CONCERNING THE PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE WORLD
HEALTH ORGANIZATION.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following
findings:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Good health is important to every citizen of
the world and access to the highest standards of health
information and services is necessary to improve the public
health.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Direct and unobstructed participation in
international health cooperation forums and programs is
beneficial for all parts of the world, especially today with
the great potential for the cross-border spread of various
infectious diseases such as the human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV), tuberculosis, and malaria.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Taiwan's population of 23,500,000 people is
greater than that of </DELETED>\<DELETED>3/4</DELETED>\
<DELETED>of the member states already in the World Health
Organization (WHO).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) Taiwan's achievements in the field of health
are substantial, including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) attaining--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) 1 of the highest life
expectancy levels in Asia; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) maternal and infant mortality
rates comparable to those of western
countries;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) eradicating such infectious diseases
as cholera, smallpox, the plague, and polio;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) providing children with hepatitis B
vaccinations.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) The United States Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and its counterpart agencies in Taiwan have
enjoyed close collaboration on a wide range of public health
issues.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) In recent years Taiwan has expressed a
willingness to assist financially and technically in
international aid and health activities supported by the
WHO.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) On January 14, 2001, an earthquake,
registering between 7.6 and 7.9 on the Richter scale, struck El
Salvador. In response, the Taiwanese Government sent 2 rescue
teams, consisting of 90 individuals specializing in
firefighting, medicine, and civil engineering. The Taiwanese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs also donated $200,000 in relief aid
to the Salvadoran Government.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) The World Health Assembly has allowed
observers to participate in the activities of the organization,
including the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1974, the
Order of Malta, and the Holy See in the early 1950's.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (9) The United States, in the 1994 Taiwan Policy
Review, declared its intention to support Taiwan's
participation in appropriate international
organizations.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (10) Public Law 106-137 required the Secretary of
State to submit a report to Congress on efforts by the
executive branch to support Taiwan's participation in
international organizations, in particular the WHO.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (11) In light of all 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.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (12) On May 11, 2001, President Bush stated in a
letter to Senator Murkowski that the United States ``should
find opportunities for Taiwan's voice to be heard in
international organizations in order to make a contribution,
even if membership is not possible'', further stating that the
administration ``has focused on finding concrete ways for
Taiwan to benefit and contribute to the WHO''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (13) In his speech made in the World Medical
Association on May 14, 2002, Secretary of Health and Human
Services, Tommy Thompson, announced ``America's work for a
healthy world cuts across political lines. That is why my
government supports Taiwan's efforts to gain observership
status at the World Health Assembly. We know this is a
controversial issue, but we do not shrink from taking a public
stance on it. The people of Taiwan deserve the same level of
public health as citizens of every nation on earth, and we
support them in their efforts to achieve it''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (14) The Government of the Republic of China on
Taiwan, in response to an appeal from the United Nations and
the United States for resources to control the spread of HIV/
AIDS, donated $1,000,000 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria in December 2002.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (15) In 2003, the outbreak of Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) caused 73 deaths in
Taiwan.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (16) Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu,
has reemerged in Asia with strains of the influenza reported by
the People's Republic of China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan,
Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and
Laos.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (17) The SARS and avian influenza outbreaks
illustrate that disease knows no boundaries and emphasize the
importance of allowing all people access to the WHO.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (18) As the pace of globalization quickens and the
spread of infectious disease accelerates, it is crucial that
all people, including the people of Taiwan, be given the
opportunity to participate in international health
organizations such as the WHO.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (19) The Secretary of Health and Human Services
acknowledged during the 2003 World Health Assembly meeting that
``[t]he need for effective public health exists among all
peoples''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Plan.--The Secretary of State is authorized to--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) 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 2004 in Geneva,
Switzerland;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) instruct the United States delegation to the
World Health Assembly in Geneva to implement that plan;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) introduce a resolution in support of observer
status for Taiwan at the summit of the World Health
Assembly.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Report.--Not later than 14 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to
Congress in unclassified form describing the action taken to carry out
the plan described in subsection (b).</DELETED>
SECTION 1. CONCERNING THE PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Good health is important to every citizen of the world
and access to the highest standards of health information and
services is necessary to improve the public health.
(2) Direct and unobstructed participation in international
health cooperation forums and programs is beneficial for all
parts of the world, especially today with the great potential
for the cross-border spread of various infectious diseases such
as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, and
malaria.
(3) Taiwan's population of 23,500,000 people is greater
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--
(A) attaining--
(i) 1 of the highest life expectancy levels
in Asia; and
(ii) maternal and infant mortality rates
comparable to those of western countries;
(B) eradicating such infectious diseases as
cholera, smallpox, the plague, and polio; and
(C) providing children with hepatitis B
vaccinations.
(5) The United States Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and its counterpart agencies in Taiwan have enjoyed
close collaboration on a wide range of public health issues.
(6) In recent years Taiwan has expressed a willingness to
assist financially and technically in international aid and
health activities supported by the WHO.
(7) On January 14, 2001, an earthquake, registering between
7.6 and 7.9 on the Richter scale, struck El Salvador. In
response, the Taiwanese Government sent 2 rescue teams,
consisting of 90 individuals 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 observers to
participate in the activities of the organization, including
the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1974, the Order of
Malta, and the Holy See in the early 1950's.
(9) The United States, in the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review,
declared its intention to support Taiwan's participation in
appropriate international organizations.
(10) Public Law 106-137 required the Secretary of State to
submit a report to Congress on efforts by the executive branch
to support Taiwan's participation in international
organizations, in particular the WHO.
(11) In light of all 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.
(12) On May 11, 2001, President Bush stated in a letter to
Senator Murkowski that the United States ``should find
opportunities for Taiwan's voice to be heard in international
organizations in order to make a contribution, even if
membership is not possible'', further stating that the
administration ``has focused on finding concrete ways for Taiwan to
benefit and contribute to the WHO''.
(13) In his speech made in the World Medical Association on
May 14, 2002, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy
Thompson announced ``America's work for a healthy world cuts
across political lines. That is why my government supports
Taiwan's efforts to gain observership status at the World
Health Assembly. We know this is a controversial issue, but we
do not shrink from taking a public stance on it. The people of
Taiwan deserve the same level of public health as citizens of
every nation on earth, and we support them in their efforts to
achieve it''.
(14) The Government of the Republic of China on Taiwan, in
response to an appeal from the United Nations and the United
States for resources to control the spread of HIV/AIDS, donated
$1,000,000 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria in December 2002.
(15) In 2003, the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS) caused 84 deaths in Taiwan.
(16) Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has
reemerged in Asia, with strains of the influenza reported by
the People's Republic of China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan,
Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos.
(17) The SARS and avian influenza outbreaks illustrate that
disease knows no boundaries and emphasize the importance of
allowing all people access to the WHO.
(18) As the pace of globalization quickens and the spread
of infectious disease accelerates, it is crucial that all
people, including the people of Taiwan, be given the
opportunity to participate in international health
organizations such as the WHO.
(19) The Secretary of Health and Human Services
acknowledged during the 2003 World Health Assembly meeting that
``[t]he need for effective public health exists among all
peoples''.
(b) Plan.--The Secretary of State is authorized to--
(1) initiate a United States plan to endorse and obtain
observer status for Taiwan at the annual week-long summit of
the World Health Assembly each year in Geneva, Switzerland;
(2) instruct the United States delegation to the World
Health Assembly in Geneva to implement that plan; and
(3) introduce a resolution in support of observer status
for Taiwan at the summit of the World Health Assembly.
(c) Report Concerning Observer Status for Taiwan at the Summit of
the World Health Assembly.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and not later than April 1 of each year
thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the
Congress, in unclassified form, describing the United States plan to
endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual week-long
summit of the World Health Assembly (WHA) held by the World Health
Organization (WHO) in May of each year in Geneva, Switzerland. Each
report shall include the following:
(1) An account of the efforts the Secretary of State has
made, following the last meeting of the World Health Assembly,
to encourage WHO member states to promote Taiwan's bid to
obtain observer status.
(2) The steps the Secretary of State will take to endorse
and obtain observer status at the next annual meeting of the
World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
Calendar No. 492
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2092
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To address the participation of Taiwan in the World Health
Organization.
_______________________________________________________________________
April 29, 2004
Reported with an amendment