Mr. Speaker, I want to present a petition that I had signed by about 60 people yesterday.
The petitioners are asking the government to support Taiwan's legitimate request to be admitted as an observer at the annual general meeting of the World Health Organization, which will be held on May 14, 2002, in Geneva.
The fact that Taiwan is an important tourism and business destination that receives 10 million travelers a year makes it more vulnerable to epidemics. At the same time, that state—since it is not a country—has developed an expertise in the area of vaccination, particularly against hepatitis B.
For these reasons, we are asking the government to follow up on various statements and to recognize Taiwan at the WTO.