(Below News Articles Are From Central News Agency)

Brussels, March 14 (CNA) The European Parliament on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution that explicitly expresses support for Taiwan taking part as an observer in the next World Health Assembly meeting, slated for May 14 in Geneva.

"It is believed that Taiwan's experience in dealing successfully with important health issues at home can be of benefit not only regionally, but also globally, and that therefore Taiwan should be invited to participate in an appropriate and meaningful way in the next World Health Assembly meeting," the resolution indicated.

The European Parliament called accordingly on the World Health Assembly (WHA), the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), in Geneva to accept Taiwan's participation with observer status.

It also called on the European Commission and member states of the European Union to support the application for observer status to be granted to Taiwan at the forthcoming WHA.

The European Parliament instructed its president the same day to forward the resolution to the European Council, the European Commission, the EU member states, the government of the People's Republic of China, the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan and the WHO.

The passage of the resolution Thursday marked the first time in history that the European Parliament, currently convening in Strasbourg, a city in northeastern France near the German border, made its stance clear that Taiwan should be invited to take part in one of the most important meetings in the world tackling human rights, health and sanitation issues.

The resolution noted that in view of the importance of good health for all the world's people, Taiwan's substantive progress in the field of health, its offers of actual emergency assistance and financial support to El Salvador after a devastating earthquake struck there last year and Taiwan's repeated expressions of willingness to provide financial and technological assistance to the WHO cause and related international rescue missions, the European Parliament decided to reiterate its position that Taiwan should be accorded opportunities to be better represented in international organizations and activities.

Thursday's resolution was drafted by members from five of the seven party caucuses in the European Parliament. Those five party caucuses constitute 532 of the 626 members of the parliament.

The resolution also marks the second prominent international group to openly express support for Taiwan's representation in WHO-related activities. The U.S. Congress passed a similar non-binding resolution last December.  

歐洲議會於三月十四日通過一 決議案，明白表達支持台灣以觀察員身份參加今年世界 衛生組

織大會 (WHA) 的立場。決議文中並要求WHA接受台灣為觀察員，同時要求歐盟執委會與歐盟

會員國支持 在即將召開的WHA中，同意給予台灣觀察員身份。 這是代表歐盟民意的歐洲議

會，在世界衛生組織大會即將於今年五月十四日在日內瓦召開年度大會之際， 首度表明應邀請

台灣以觀察員身份，參加這項涉及基本 人權與衛生重要國際組織會議的立場。 目前正在法國史

特拉斯堡召開大會的歐洲議會在決 議文中指出，鑒於良好衛生對世界所有人民的重要性與 台灣

在衛生領域已達致的實質進步，以及去年薩爾瓦多大地震台灣提供的實際協助與財力上的支

援，與近年台 灣已在世界衛生組織支持的國際援助上表達財力及技術 協助的意願，故重申台灣

在國際組織應有較佳的代表性 。 

決議文中表示：--相信台灣在國內成功處理重要衛生議題的經驗不僅 能有益於地區且有益於全

球因此台灣應被邀請在一種適 當且深具義的方式上參加二○○二年五月十四日在日內 瓦召開的

世界衛生大會。--因此要求在日內瓦的世界衛生大會接受給予台灣觀察員身份。 --要求歐盟執

委會及會員國支持在即將召開的世界衛 生大會中同意授予台灣申請的觀察員身份。 --指示歐洲

議會主席將決議文送交歐盟部長理事會、 執委會、會員國、中華人民共和國政府、中華民國政

府 及世界衛生組織。 今天的決議文是由歐洲議會七個黨團中最重要五個 黨團的一些成員聯合

提案並獲得大會通過，顯然相當不易且具有代表性。這五個黨團是歐洲人民黨/歐洲民主 黨團 

(PPE/DE) ，歐洲社會黨團 (PSE) ，自由、民主 及改革黨團 (ELDR) ，綠黨黨團 (Vert/ALE) 及歐洲

國 家團結黨團 (UEN) 。在歐洲議會總共六百二十六名議 員中，這五個黨團的議員人數已佔五百

三十二名。 推動歐洲議會通過上述決議案甚力的駐歐 盟暨比利時代表李大維今晚表示，他僅是

在工作職掌之 內，執行政府交代的任務，推動歐洲議會通過這項對台 灣有利的決議案。