[106th Congress Public Law 137]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


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[DOCID: f:publ137.106]

Public Law 106-137
106th Congress

                                 An Act


 
Concerning the participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization 
              (WHO). <<NOTE: Dec. 7, 1999 -  [H.R. 1794]>> 

    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 a basic right for every citizen of the 
        world and access to the highest standards of health information 
        and services is necessary to help guarantee this right.
            (2) Direct and unobstructed participation in international 
        health cooperation forums and programs is therefore crucial, 
        especially with today's greater potential for the cross-border 
        spread of various infectious diseases such as AIDS.
            (3) The World Health Organization (WHO) set forth in the 
        first chapter of its charter the objective of attaining the 
        highest possible level of health for all people.
            (4) In 1977, the World Health Organization established 
        ``Health For All By The Year 2000'' as its overriding priority 
        and reaffirmed that central vision with the initiation of its 
        ``Health For All'' renewal process in 1995.
            (5) Taiwan's population of 21,000,000 people is larger than 
        that of three-fourths of the member states already in the World 
        Health Organization.
            (6) 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 
        be rid of polio and provide children with free hepatitis B 
        vaccinations.
            (7) The World Health Organization was unable to assist 
        Taiwan with an outbreak of enterovirus 71 which killed 70 
        Taiwanese children and infected more than 1,100 Taiwanese 
        children in 1998.
            (8) In recent years Taiwan has expressed a willingness to 
        assist financially or technically in WHO-supported international 
        aid and health activities, but has ultimately been unable to 
        render such assistance.
            (9) The World Health Organization allows observers to 
        participate in the activities of the organization.
            (10) The United States, in the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review, 
        declared its intention to support Taiwan's participation in 
        appropriate international organizations.
            (11) In light of all of the benefits that Taiwan's 
        participation in the World Health Organization could bring to 
        the state of health not only in Taiwan, but also regionally and 
        globally, Taiwan and its 21,000,000 people should have 
        appropriate and meaningful participation in the World Health 
        Organization.

    (b) Report.--Not <<NOTE: Deadline.>> later than January 1, 2000, the 
Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Congress on the efforts 
of the Secretary to fulfill the commitment made in the 1994 Taiwan 
Policy Review to more actively support Taiwan's participation in 
international organizations, in particular the World Health Organization 
(WHO).

    Approved December 7, 1999.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 1794:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 145 (1999):
            Oct. 4, considered and passed House.
            Nov. 19, considered and passed Senate.

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