Canada's NDP

NDP

May 5th, 2022

Letter to Minister Joly

Calling for Taiwan to be included in the World Health Assembly

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, P.C., M.P.,
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Global Affairs Canada
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1A0G2

May 05, 2022

Dear Minister Joly,

I am writing to you today regarding the status of Taiwan’s admission at this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting, to be held in Geneva from May 22 - 28, 2022, and other meetings, mechanisms, and activities of the World Health Organization (WHO).

As the world enters the third year of battling the coronavirus, it has become evident that a collective and coordinated response is needed moving forward. Taiwan has been excluded from these indispensable conversations ever since the pandemic started. It is regretful that neither Taiwan’s success in responding to the coronavirus nor the health and welfare of 23.5 million people are taken into consideration by the WHO.

Even though Taiwan is not a member of the WHO, it still strives to make contributions to international society whenever and wherever there’s a need. Taiwan was among the first countries to provide Canada with necessary PPE during the pandemic. Recently, it also shipped over 50 tons of medical supplies to Ukraine out of urgent humanitarian considerations. These are just two of many examples that Taiwan can be a force for good to Canada and to global health.

As a like-minded democracy, Canada has every reason to support Taiwan’s inclusion in future WHA functions where Taiwan can be a valuable partner to jointly help improve global health. Taiwan has developed strong disease prevention systems and has worked with the global community to build capacity to prevent diseases such as Ebola, MERS, and Zika. It is also important to note that Taiwan is a strong supporter of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Taiwan’s exclusion from multilateral fora benefits no-one. The New Democratic Party of Canada supports the inclusion of Taiwan at the 2022 World Health Assembly Meeting, as well as Taiwan’s meaningful participation in:

  • The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO);
  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); and
  • The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)

Closing gaps in the international system is of substantial benefit to the entire global community. It is particularly beneficial for Canada to engage in multilateral functions with those countries that share our values and priorities. To that end, I ask that Canada advocate on behalf of Taiwan’s participation at the upcoming World Health Assembly as well as ICAO, UNFCCC, and INTERPOL.

Sincerely,

Heather McPherson
Member of Parliament for Edmonton Strathcona
NDP Critic for Foreign Affairs and International Development