The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) expresses sincere appreciation for the unprecedented level of support extended to Taiwan’s campaign for participation in the World Health Organization by diplomatic allies and like-minded nations at the 146th session of the WHO Executive Board, which was held from February 3 to 8 at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
The strong support for Taiwan came in the wake of the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak (2019-nCoV), which originated in Wuhan, China. This outbreak, which WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), has elicited close attention and serious concern among countries worldwide and further underlined the legitimacy and urgency of Taiwan’s appeal for WHO participation.
Diplomatic allies of Taiwan, including Eswatini, Paraguay, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nauru, Saint Christopher and Nevis, and the Marshall Islands, staunchly backed Taiwan’s WHO participation at the EB meeting. Speaking from a professional healthcare perspective, representatives of these diplomatic allies thanked Taiwan for cooperating with their countries in healthcare, affirmed Taiwan’s contributions, and demanded that WHO include Taiwan in the global disease prevention network.
Furthermore, the Honduran National Congress, Foreign Ministry, and Foreign Minister Lisandro Rosales; President of the ROC (Taiwan)-Nicaragua Parliamentary Group of Friendship José Figueroa; the Paraguayan Foreign Ministry and Health Minister Julio Mazzoleni; Saint Christopher and Nevis Prime Minister Timothy Harris and Foreign Minister Mark Brantley; and Haitian Foreign Minister Bocchit Edmond also expressed support for Taiwan’s campaign through resolutions, statements, or social media messages.
Even though Taiwan’s diplomatic allies Belize, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines did not dispatch representatives to the EB meeting, they used different ways to offer public support. Saint Lucian Prime Minister Allen Chastanet instructed his government to issue a statement calling on WHO to ensure Taiwan’s full participation in international consultation, planning, and decision-making with regard to the 2019-nCoV outbreak. Meanwhile, Belizean Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington, the Press Office of the Belizean cabinet, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Health Minister Luke Browne respectively produced a short video, press release, and social media post urging WHO to include Taiwan.
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