108TH CONGRESS - 1st SESSION
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES  

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should actively support Taiwan's membership in the United Nations and other international organizations.

INTRODUCED BY: Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (Co-sponsored by Reps. Chris Bell, Steve Chabot, John Doolittle, Robert Andrews, Frank Pallone, Chris Smith, Mark Souder, Sue Kelly, Michael Bilirakis, Sherrod Brown)

Whereas Taiwan has dramatically improved its record on human rights and routinely holds free and fair elections in a multiparty system, as evidenced by Taiwan's second democratic presidential election of March 18, 2000, in which Mr. Chen Shui-bian was elected as president;

Whereas Taiwan is not a member state of the United Nations and cannot be held accountable for human rights violations by United Nations institutions and courts, and its 23,000,000 people therefore cannot fully engage international institutions to protect their human rights;

Whereas Taiwan has in recent years repeatedly expressed its strong desire to join the United Nations and other international organizations;

Whereas Taiwan would benefit from membership in these organizations;

Whereas the world community has reacted positively to Taiwan's desire for international participation, as shown by Taiwan's membership in the Asian Development Bank, Taiwan's admission to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation as a full member, and Taiwan's membership in the World Trade Organization;

Whereas Taiwan possesses ample resources and creativity to contribute to the work and funding of the UN and its affiliate organizations such as the World Bank and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Monetary Fund, and

Whereas Public Law 106-137 required the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress on the efforts of the Secretary to support Taiwan's participation in international organizations; Now, therefore be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that

(1) Taiwan and its 23,000,000 people deserve full and equal membership in the United Nations and other international organizations; and

(2) the United States should take a leading role in gaining international support for Taiwan's participation in these organizations.