[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 812 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.812
One Hundred Seventeenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two
An Act
To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain
observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency
of the United Nations, charged with coordinating health efforts
within the United Nations system. The World Health Assembly (WHA)
is the decision-making body of the WHO, which convenes annually in
May to set the policies and priorities of the organization.
Statehood is not a requirement for attendance at the WHA, and
numerous observers, including non-members and non-governmental
organizations, attended the most recent virtual WHA in May 2020.
(2) Taiwan began seeking to participate in the WHO as an
observer in 1997. In 2009, with strong support from successive
United States Administrations, Congress, and like-minded WHO Member
States, and during a period of improved Cross-Strait relations,
Taiwan received an invitation to attend the WHA as an observer
under the name ``Chinese Taipei''. Taiwan received the same
invitation each year until 2016, when following the election of
President Tsai-Ing Wen of the Democratic Progressive Party,
Taiwan's engagement in the international community began facing
increased resistance from the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Taiwan's invitation to the 2016 WHA was received late and included
new language conditioning Taiwan's participation on the PRC's ``one
China principle''. The WHO did not invite Taiwan to attend the WHA
as an observer in 2017, 2018, 2019, or 2020.
(3) Taiwan remains a model contributor to world health, having
provided financial and technical assistance to respond to numerous
global health challenges. Taiwan has invested over $6,000,000,000
in international medical and humanitarian aid efforts impacting
over 80 countries since 1996. In 2014, Taiwan responded to the
Ebola crisis by donating $1,000,000 and providing 100,000 sets of
personal protective equipment. Through the Global Cooperation and
Training Framework, the United States and Taiwan have jointly
conducted training programs for experts to combat MERS, Dengue
Fever, and Zika. In 2020, after successfully containing the spread
of the novel coronavirus within its borders while upholding
democratic principles, Taiwan generously donated millions of pieces
of personal protective equipment and COVID-19 tests to countries in
need. These diseases know no borders, and Taiwan's needless
exclusion from global health cooperation increases the dangers
presented by global pandemics.
(4) Taiwan's international engagement has faced increased
resistance from the PRC. Taiwan was not invited to the 2016
Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),
despite participating as a guest at the organization's prior summit
in 2013. Taiwan's requests to participate in the General Assembly
of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) have
also been rejected. In May 2017, PRC delegates disrupted a meeting
of the Kimberley Process on conflict diamonds held in Perth,
Australia, until delegates from Taiwan were asked to leave. Since
2016, the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, the
Republic of Panama, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, the
Republic of El Salvador, the Solomon Islands, and the Republic of
Kiribati have terminated longstanding diplomatic relationships with
Taiwan and granted diplomatic recognition to the PRC.
(5) Congress has established a policy of support for Taiwan's
participation in international bodies that address shared
transnational challenges, particularly in the WHO. Congress passed
H.R. 1794 in the 106th Congress, H.R. 428 in the 107th Congress,
and S. 2092 in the 108th Congress to direct the Secretary of State
to establish a strategy for, and to report annually to Congress on,
efforts to obtain observer status for Taiwan at the WHA. Congress
also passed H.R. 1151 in the 113th Congress, directing the
Secretary to report on a strategy to gain observer status for
Taiwan at the ICAO Assembly, and H.R. 1853 in the 114th Congress,
directing the Secretary to report on a strategy to gain observer
status for Taiwan at the INTERPOL Assembly. However, since 2016,
Taiwan has not received an invitation to attend any of these events
as an observer.
(b) Augmentation of Report Concerning the Participation of Taiwan
in the World Health Organization.--
(1) In general.--Subsection (c) of section 1 of the Act
entitled, ``To address the participation of Taiwan in the World
Health Organization'' (Public Law 108-235; 22 U.S.C. 290 note) is
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(3) An account of the changes and improvements the Secretary
of State has made to the United States plan to endorse and obtain
observer status for Taiwan at the World Health Assembly, following
any annual meetings of the World Health Assembly at which Taiwan
did not obtain observer status.''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall
take effect and apply beginning with the first report required
under subsection (c) of section 1 of the Act entitled, ``To address
the participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization''
(Public Law 108-235; 22 U.S.C. 290 note) that is submitted after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.