00Enrolled HJR 36                                                                                                         
01 Urging the United States Congress to support the granting of official Observer Status to the                            
02 Republic of China at the World Health Assembly Annual Conference to be held at Geneva,                                  
03 Switzerland, in May 2006.                                                                                               
04                                         _______________                                                                 
05 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                             
06      WHEREAS the health of the peoples of the world is of vital importance to the United                              
07 States, including the citizens of Alaska, and to the Republic of China; and                                             
08      WHEREAS the people of the United States and the Republic of China have                                           
09 generously contributed to programs that benefit the health of the peoples of the world; and                             
10      WHEREAS it would be mutually beneficial to the people of the United States,                                      
11 including Alaska, and the people of the Republic of China to both assist and realize a                                  
12 continuation of international efforts the goal of which is to expand and further develop health-                        
13 related knowledge; and                                                                                                  
14      WHEREAS today there is a strong need for the rapid and complete international                                    
15 dissemination of health-medical information and research results in view of the recent                                  
16 outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Avian Influenza, considered to                                
17 be worldwide health threats;                                                                                            

01      BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the United States                                    
02 Congress to authorize the United States to endorse the request by the Republic of China to be                           
03 granted Observer Status at the World Health Assembly Annual Conference in May 2006 at                                   
04 Geneva, Switzerland.                                                                                                    
05      COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Chen Shui-bian, President of                            
06 the Republic of China; the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States; the                                
07 Honorable Condoleezza Rice, United States Secretary of State; the Honorable Michael O.                                  
08 Leavitt, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services; the World Health Assembly;                               
09 the World Health Organization; Robert C. M. Chen, Director General, Taipei Economic and                                 
10 Cultural Office in Seattle, 600 University Street, Suite 2020, Seattle, WA  98101; and to the                           
11 Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable                                
12 Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.