TAIWAN SEEKS U.S. HELP WITH WHO EXECUTIVE BOARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 001435

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/TC, IO/T (BLACKWOOD); GENEVA FOR HOHMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2019
TAGS: PREL WHO
SUBJECT: TAIWAN SEEKS U.S. HELP WITH WHO EXECUTIVE BOARD
MEETING, H1N1 VACCINE DONATION

REF: A. DECEMBER 4 HUTTO-RANK E-MAIL

B. HOHMAN E-MAILS

Classified By: Director Bill Stanton for reasons 1.4(b/d)


1. (C) Summary: Taiwan is seeking U.S. assistance in its
efforts to participate as an observer at the January 18-23
World Health Organization Executive Board (WHO EB) meeting
and to contribute 500,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine via the WHO.
As a first step, Taiwan hopes the U.S. Mission in Geneva can
engage the WHO Secretariat and like-minded WHO members to
look for pragmatic solutions to these issues. End Summary.


2. (C) AIT Pol Chief contacted MOFA International
Organizations Division Deputy Director General Lily Hsu on
December 7 to discuss Taiwan's involvement in WHO activities
(ref A). Hsu asked for U.S. support for Taiwan's effort to
take part in the January 18-23 meeting of the World Health
Organization Executive Board (WHO EB) as an observer. Hsu
noted that there were precedents for World Health Assembly
(WHA) observers, such as the Order of Malta, to take part in
EB meeting, but admitted that observers often did not do so.
Nevertheless, she argued, there was a strong substantive case
for allowing Taiwan to do so.


3. (C) Substantively, Hsu said, Taiwan hoped to take part in
the EB meeting because there were a number of items on the
agenda that had been deferred from the May 2009 WHA meeting
at which Taiwan was an observer. These items were left
unaddressed when the WHA meeting was cut short to allow
Health Ministers to return to their countries to deal with
the H1N1 outbreak, she said. More important, the agenda for
the upcoming EB meeting included items of direct interest to
Taiwan, such as the effort to coordinate donations of H1N1
vaccines to recipient countries and International Health
Regulations (IHR) implementation.


4. (C) Asked what specific assistance Taiwan needed, Hsu said
a first step would be for the U.S. Mission in Geneva to
engage the WHO Secretariat, to assess its attitude toward
Taiwan's participation and, if appropriate, to urge it to
extend an invitation to observe the EB meeting. Pol Chief
agreed to convey the request, but noted that initial U.S.
contacts with the WHO Secretariat (ref B) were not entirely
promising.


5. (C) Hsu also noted that Taiwan was still having problems
contributing 500,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine via the WHO.
Taiwan had explored the possibility of making a bilateral
donation, she stressed, but had determined that doing so
would be impractical. Hsu asked for U.S. help in
coordinating with like-minded countries represented in Geneva
to find a practical way to make the contribution via the WHO.
If there were a way to make a contribution through the WHO,
Hsu emphasized repeatedly, Taiwan was prepared to be "very
flexible on modalities."
STANTON