Taipei City: Taiwan has expressed regret that the island is yet to receive an invitation to the decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), scheduled to take place in Geneva. The key gathering of global health officials will take place from May 22-28, which will be the first in-person World Health Assembly (WHA) since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We find it deeply regrettable that the WHO has once again failed to remain professional and politically neutral to extend an invitation to Taiwan," Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou said at a news briefing, as quoted by Taiwan Focus.
The WHO has disregarded the widespread international support for Taiwan's participation in the WHA as an observer, which is necessary and urgent, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, she added. This comes after the US government on Wednesday extended its support for Taiwan's inclusion in the WHA. "We strongly advocate for the WHO to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer and lend its expertise to the solution-seeking discussions at the 75th WHA this May," the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. "Inviting Taiwan to attend the WHA as an observer would exemplify the WHO's commitment to an inclusive approach to international health cooperation and 'health for all," he added.