A Canadian member of the House of Commons Health Commission unanimously passed a motion to support Taiwan’s accession to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“I’m seeking unanimous consent from the Commission,” said Conservative MP and motion sponsor Michael Barrett. April 27 Committee, “Adopt the following movements”. The motion received unanimous support from members of all parties to the Commission.
A motion stating that the Standing Committee “supports Taiwan’s full participation in the World Health Assembly and the World Health Organization” Then presented Liberal lawmaker Sean Casey, chairman of the committee, was in the House last Friday.
Taiwan Excluded Taiwan is a de facto independent country, and despite having its own military power, democratically elected government, and constitution, China opposed it because it was a “separated state.” This is an opinion from WHO. It was not a member of the United Nations, but was banished and replaced by China in 1971.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, exclusion from the country’s organization has been controversial on the world stage, as Taiwan’s management of COVID-19 outbreaks is highly regarded. As a result, WHO has been accused of showing political prejudice against Beijing, and the Taiwanese government ignored questions about the outbreak in China when members asked about person-to-person communication. Is accused.
so Joint statement released In May 2020, along with Minister of State for Health Chen Shih-chung, Foreign Minister Wu accused WHO of “indifference to the health rights of 23.5 million people in Taiwan.”
In the same statement, “The World Health Organization, as an international specialized medical institution, should serve the health and welfare of all humankind and should not give in to the political interests of any particular member.” Stated.
After an interview with WHO Deputy Secretary Bruce Aylward on the Hong Kong Network RTHK, accusations of pro-Chinese prejudice against WHO have increased and he is said to have avoided asking questions about Taiwan’s response to the virus. ..
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen also tried to claim that Taiwan was a member of the WHO, saying, “After experiencing this outbreak, all countries have a better understanding of Taiwan’s capabilities and areas of contribution, and Taiwan’s global. I wanted to seriously consider participating in the response. Pandemic. “
Canada, along with its allies such as the United States, has in the past supported campaigns to help Taiwan gain an observer status within the organization.
May 2020, then-Foreign Minister François Philip Champagne said: Canada endorsed “Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international multilateral forums where Taiwan’s presence makes a significant contribution to the public interest.”
“Canada encourages WHO to work with Taiwanese experts to help Taiwan meaningfully participate in global health debates.”
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Shane Miller is a political writer based in London, Ontario.