Saint Lucia has urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to include Taiwan in all health emergency-related meetings and mechanisms.
Minister of Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs Moses Jn Baptiste declared in a statement Tuesday that Taiwan is eager and able to make a global contribution.Â
Jn Baptiste also called on the WHO to allow Taiwan’s participation as an observer in the World Health Assembly.Â
The assembly occurs annually in Geneva, Switzerland.
It determines the WHO’s policies, appoints the Director-General, supervises financial policies, and reviews and approves the proposed budget.
Taiwan failed to get invited to last year’s annual assembly in May as China, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, urged members to reject Taipei’s inclusion.
However, in his statement supporting Taiwan, the Saint Lucia Health Minister recalled that WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that health threats are increasing.
 “No country or institution can address the challenges alone. We need collective and coordinated action. The director-general’s statement underscores the importance of public health stakeholders worldwide, including Taiwan, working together to counter the next health emergency,” the Minister declared.
His complete statement appears below:
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