GENEVA: The 57th World Health Assembly's (WHA) General Committee decided yesterday not to include on the agenda a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer in the WHA, the supreme decision-making body for the World Health Organization (WHO).

Taiwan's attempt to access the WHO failed again when WHA Chairman Mohammad Nasir Khan, who is also the Pakistani health minister, announced the decision reached by consensus of the 25-member WHA General Committee.

This is the eighth such proposal put forth by Taiwan authorities and tabled by a few WHA members since 1997. Gao Qiang, executive vice-minister of health, said at the aseembly meeting that there is no legal ground and reason for inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA.

(HK Edition 05/18/2004 page1)