I initiated an open letter in the European Parliament to the EU health ministers relating to the participation of Taiwan in the World Health Assembly taking place on 18-19 May 2020.
Over 100 MEPs and MPs from different countries and political groups decided to co-sign this letter.
You’ll find the letter together with all the signatories below.
OPEN AND URGENT LETTER TO EUROPEAN UNION HEALTH MINISTERS
This is an open letter to all European Union Health Ministers relating to the participation of Taiwan in the World Health Assembly, 18-19 May 2020.
To the Ministers of Health of the Member States of the European Union,
The Corona Crisis will dominate the World Health Assembly to be held on 18-19 May, in Geneva, through a ministerial video conference. As the virus knows no borders, nationalities and ideologies, the world needs to share all available information and expertise that can be helpful to combat the pandemic.
That is why we, the undersigned members of the European and national Parliaments, urge you to insist that the World Health Organisation (WHO) returns to the pragmatic protocol – practiced from 2009 to 2016 – of inviting Taiwan as an observer to this meeting format. The Taiwanese government has successfully managed to curb the spread of the virus in spite of Taiwan’s geographic proximity to the virus origin.
The United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have officially taken the position to return to the 2009 – 2016 format.
We therefore request that Taiwan’s Minister of Health and Welfare, Chen Shih Chung, be invited to attend this year’s virtual WHA videoconference, as an observer, to share with us Taiwan’s successful experience in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, we request that the WHO facilitate appropriate and feasible arrangements for Taiwan to participate in all WHO meetings, mechanisms and activities.
In the interests of a pragmatic, science-based approach to global health, we look forward to receiving a positive response from you.
Thank you and best wishes,
Urmas Paet
Michael Gahler
Katalin Cseh
Bernard Guetta
Karin Karlsbro
Aušra Maldeikienė
Riho Terras
Frédérique Ries
Michaela Šojdrová
Sophie in ’t Veld
Klemen Grošelj
Tudor Ciuhodaru
Juan Fernando López Aguilar
Engin Eroglu
José Ramón Bauzá Díaz
Nicolaus Fest
Andrus Ansip
Gilles Lebreton
Tomáš Zdechovský
David Lega
Klára Dobrev
Csaba Molnár
Attila Ara-Kovács
Sándor Rónai
Brando Benifei
Michal Šimečka
Jan-Christoph Oetjen
Abir Al-Sahlani
Fredrick Federley
Pascal Durand
Alexandr Vondra
Kosma Zlotowski
Ivan Štefanec
Hermann Tertsch
Veronika Vrecionová
Dragoş Tudorache
Moritz Körner
Salima Yenbou
Margrete Auken
Kira Peter-Hansen
Charlie Weimers
Leopoldo López Gil
Svenja Hahn
Niklas Nienass
Rasa Juknevičienė
Reinhard Bütikofer
Eugen Jurzyca
Javier Nart
Witold Waszczykowski
Thomas Waitz
Nathalie Loiseau
Beata Mazurek
Malik Azmani
Jan Huitema
Caroline Nagtegaal
Liesje Schreinemacher
Bart Groothuis
Margarita de la Pisa Carrión
Margarete Bause
Carles Puigdemont
Antoni Comín
Clara Ponsatí
Viola von Cramon-Taubadel
Raphaël Glucksmann
Ďuriš Nicholsonová
Katrin Langensiepen
Marco Campomenosi
Milan Zver
Liudas Mažylis
Johan Van Overtveldt
Anna Donáth
Assita Kanko
Geert Bourgeois
Jutta Paulus
Jürgen Trittin
Barry Andrews
François Alfonsi
Benoît Biteau
Damien Carême
David Cormand
Gendoline Delbos-Corfield
Karima Delli
Claude Gruffat
Yannick Jadot
Michèle Rivasi
Caroline Roose
Mounir Satouri
Marie Toussaint
Olivier Chastel
Anna Fotyga
Inese Vaidere
Diana Riba i Giner
Hannah Neumann
Henrike Hahn
Dorien Rookmaker
Andrey Kovatchev
Katrin Göring-Eckardt
Gianna Gancia
Petra de Sutter
Juozas Olekas
Dominique Riquet
Andreas Glück
Miriam Lexmann
Alviina Alametsä
Omid Nouripour
Fabio Massimo Castaldo
Helmut Geuking
Manuel Pizarro
Tom Vandendriessche
Andrius Kubilius
Mikuláš Peksa
Annalena Baerbock
Robert Habeck