U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, together with Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), have sent a letter to World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The senators are urging Dr. Tedros to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the WHO and the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA) in May.
In their letter, the senators express strong bipartisan support within the U.S. Senate for Taiwan’s participation in the WHO and the annual WHA meetings. They voice deep concern that Taiwan has been largely excluded from WHO and WHA meetings, technical exchanges, and other consultative mechanisms.
The senators further highlight that in recent years, the People’s Republic of China has used United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 as a pretext to obstruct Taiwan’s engagement with the international community. They stress that Resolution 2758 addressed only China’s representation in the United Nations; it did not determine Taiwan’s status or explicitly prohibit Taiwan’s participation in UN agencies and other international fora, including WHO and WHA.
The full text of their letter underscores their belief that excluding Taiwan from WHO and WHA undermines the WHO’s mission to build a healthier future for the global community. They note that Taiwan has demonstrated robust healthcare capabilities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, making its contributions indispensable to global health initiatives.
The senators urge Dr. Tedros to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation, arguing that denying Taiwan this opportunity hinders not only its 23 million people but also weakens global health architecture’s ability to respond effectively to health challenges.
They conclude by looking forward to Dr. Tedros’ response on this critical issue and ask for a positive resolution ahead of the forthcoming World Health Assembly in late May.
