Taiwan Seeking Invitation to World Health Assembly|5/18世衛大會 WHO稱無共識不能邀請台灣


Whether Taiwan will take part in next week's WHA has sparked international attention. The WHO said it had no authority to invite Taiwan as there is no consensus among member nations.


You're making a political call if you fall into line with Beijing's views and issues. How would you respond to that?

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus continues turning a deaf ear to questions related to Taiwan. When asked again about Taiwan on May 11 in Geneva, specifically about whether Taiwan will be invited to participate in the World Health Assembly as an observer, he left the question for the WHO's legal officer to answer.

Instead of clear support, there are divergent views among member states and no basis, therefore no mandate.

WHO Principal Legal Officer Steven Solomon raised five points in his six-minute response. The main point was that even if this year's WHA is held via video conference, there is no plan to invite Taiwan. Solomon said Taiwan was able to participate as Chinese Taipei between 2009 and 2016 after member states reached a consensus. The situation is now different, and the director-general does not have the authority to invite Taiwan without the consensus of all member states. He added that 13 member states have proposed inviting Taiwan, and having the assembly make a decision.

A proposal has been made by 13 member states now that the assembly itself make a decision on an invitation.

Solomon mentioned that there wasn't a consensus among member states. China was one of the holdouts.

Right now, a so-called World Health Organization participation campaign is being promoted on the island of Taiwan. It is calling for Taiwan's return to the World Health Assembly, but the real objective is taking advantage of the epidemic situation to seek independence. This is political manipulation through and through.

China responded on May 11 to New Zealand's call for Taiwan to join the WHO, asking New Zealand to abide by the one-China principle and rectify the errors it has made in handling the Taiwan issue. Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu said on the same day that the invitation has not yet arrived, and that diplomatic allies will continue with efforts to support Taiwan's inclusion.



記者 VS. WHO秘書長 譚德塞:「(台灣表示)如果你只反應北京觀點,和議題是泛政治化,你怎麼回應?」

聽到台灣,就不說話,WHO秘書長譚德塞近來面對台灣議題,都已讀不回,日內瓦時間11號被媒體問到,要不要邀請台灣以觀察員身分,參加18、19號的世界衛生大會WHA,又把問題丟給法律顧問。

WHO法律顧問 索羅門表示:「會員國之間,沒有明確的支持,會員國意見分歧。在沒有基礎的情況下,WHO秘書長無權發出邀請。」

索羅門提出五點、花了快6分鐘回應,但重點只有一個,就算今年以視訊召開大會,就是不打算邀請台灣。他表示,台灣能在2009到2016年,以中華台北身份參與WHA,是因當時會員國有共識。現在情況不同,秘書長無法在會員國沒有共識的情況下邀請台灣。不過他也提到,已有13個會員國提案邀請台灣,大會會自行做出決定。

WHO法律顧問 索羅門表示:「現在已有13個會員國提案,大會自己會對邀請做出決定。」

索羅門提到的會員國間沒有共識,很明顯,反對的就是中國。

中國外交部發言人 趙立堅表示:「台灣島內此時炒作,所謂參加世衛組織活動。重返世衛大會,其真實目的就是以疫謀獨,是徹頭徹尾的政治操弄。」

中國11號回應紐西蘭支持台灣加入WHO的舉動時,語帶威脅,要紐西蘭遵守一中原則,並更正涉台問題上的錯誤言行。我外交部長吳釗燮11號則坦言,目前還沒收到WHA正式邀請,不過友邦會有更多聲援作為。