04/20/2006 03:00 PM House HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES

HJR 36-TAIWAN:  WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:07:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 36,  Urging the United States Congress                                                               
to  support  the granting  of  official  Observer Status  to  the                                                               
Republic of China at the  World Health Assembly Annual Conference                                                               
to be held at Geneva, Switzerland, in May 2006.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:07:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AARON DANIELSON,  Intern to  Representative Peggy  Wilson, Alaska                                                               
State  Legislature,  presented HJR  36  on  behalf of  the  House                                                               
Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.  He                                                                   
paraphrased from the following statement [original punctuation                                                                  
provided]:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
  · Taiwan does not have direct access to the information that                                                                  
     is disseminated in the World Heath Assembly [WHA] meetings.                                                                
     The World Health Assembly is the top body of the World                                                                     
     Health Organization [WHO].                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
   · Taiwan can be introduced as an Official Observer status,                                                                   
     something that there is precedent for.  The Red Cross,                                                                     
    Palestine Liberation Organization, Red Crescent and the                                                                     
     Order of Malta are several of the organizations that have                                                                  
    been recognized as a "health entity" and given Official                                                                     
     Observer status.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
  · This process of being given Official Observer Status also                                                                   
     side-steps the thorny sovereignty.  This process does not                                                                  
     recognize Taiwan as separate entity from China.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
  · China has opposed Taiwan's attempts to enter the WHO as a                                                                   
     member and as an official observer.  They have allowed                                                                     
     Taiwan to attend WHO meetings on Avian Influenza in Japan                                                                  
     and other cities, but has denied Taiwan's entering a                                                                       
     similar conference in Beijing China.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
   · The Alaska House passed a similar resolution in 2003 as                                                                    
    [House Joint Resolution] 28, urging the U.S. to endorse                                                                     
     Taiwan's request to be granted observer status.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
   · The U.S. Congress has also passed similar resolution to                                                                    
    support the efforts of Taiwan to gain Official Observer                                                                     
     Status into the WHA.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
   · The WHA Director can extend Official Observer status to                                                                    
     Taiwan itself, without a vote.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
   · On June 2004, Pres. Bush signed into law S2092, that                                                                       
                                                           st                                                                   
     supports Taiwan's bid to enter the WHA.  Every April 1,                                                                    
     the State Dept. is to submit a report to Congress on their                                                                 
     efforts to gain Taiwan access to the WHA.  House passed a                                                                  
                            st                                                                                                  
     similar one on April 21.  Both passed unanimously.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:11:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GARDNER asked  whether  the  Peoples Republic  of                                                               
China opposes this action.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. DANIELSON  responded that Taiwan originally  requested a full                                                               
membership,  in 1997.   However,  China  vigorously opposed  full                                                               
membership, which it views as  a threat to the sovereignty policy                                                               
of  "one  China."   China  has  maintained opposition  to  Taiwan                                                               
entering  even under  observer status,  although  it has  allowed                                                               
Taiwan to  attend two separate  WHA meetings regarding  the avian                                                               
influenza.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:12:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER moved Amendment 1, which read:                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 8;                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
          Delete "Condoleeza"                                                                                                   
          Insert "Condoleezza"                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:13:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA moved to report  HJR 36, as amended, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
zero fiscal  note.  There  being no objection, CSHJR  36(HES) was                                                               
reported  from the  House Health,  Education and  Social Services                                                               
Standing Committee.