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For
immediate release. November 29, 1999
Clinton
Signs Omnibus Bill –
Includes Mandated Reports On Administration Efforts for
Taiwan
In International Organizations
Congress
broadened its support for Taiwan's participation in international
organizations with the end-of-session passage of HR 3427,
the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, and its demand
that the Secretary of State report on efforts by the United
States to secure such participation. The bill was
included by reference in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill
(HR 3194).
Sec.
704 of the bill requires a semi-annual report detailing:
"a comprehensive list of the international organizations
in which the United States Government supports the membership
or participation of Taiwan;"
"the efforts of the United States Government to achieve
the membership or participation of Taiwan in each organization
listed;" and "the obstacles to the membership or participation
of Taiwan in each organization listed, including a list
of any governments that do not support the membership or
participation of Taiwan in each such organization."
"The
Clinton Administration has not fulfilled its own policy,
proclaimed in 1994, to actively support Taiwan's membership
in international organizations that accept non-states as
members and to look for ways to have Taiwan's voice heard
in international organizations where membership is not possible,"
stated Chen Wen-yen, FAPA's President. "FAPA worked hard
with Republican House leaders to see that this demand for
accountability from the Administration, originally drafted
into Senate bill S.886 by Senator Jesse Helms, passed in
Congress. I am pleased to note that President Clinton
signed the bill into law today."
This
legislation complements HR 1794, a bill passed on November
19, 1999 which called for Taiwan's "appropriate and meaningful
participation in the World Health Organization" and required
a report to the Congress from the Secretary of State not
later than January 1, 2000 regarding "efforts of the Secretary
to fulfill the commitment made in the 1994 Taiwan Policy
Review to move actively support Taiwan's participation in
international organizations."
For
more information, contact Coen Blaauw, Echo Lin or Michael
Fonte: 202-547-3686.
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