[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 243 Referred in House (RFH)]

  1st Session
                                 S. 243


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 5, 2003

          Referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  Concerning 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,

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 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 with today's greater 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 three-fourths 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 expectancy 
        levels in Asia, maternal and infant mortality rates comparable 
        to those of western countries, the eradication of such 
        infectious diseases as cholera, smallpox, and the plague, and 
        the first to eradicate polio and provide children with 
        hepatitis B vaccinations.
            (5) The United States Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention and its Taiwan counterpart agencies 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 1950s.
            (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 the 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 his 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 his 
        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.
    (b) Plan.--The Secretary of State is authorized--
            (1) to 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 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland; 
        and
            (2) to 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 submit a report to Congress 
in unclassified form describing the action taken under subsection (b).

            Passed the Senate May 1, 2003.

            Attest:

                                             EMILY J. REYNOLDS,

                                                             Secretary.