The US Needs To Have an Active Role in the WHO COVID-19 Resolution

A resolution for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic was adopted by consensus at the World Health Assembly. At its core, it calls for an examination of each country’s response to the pandemic. There was some trepidation that the adoption would fail, given the tenuous relationship between the U.S. and China; however, the member states all pledged support, barely maintaining international unity.

Nevertheless, the U.S. scarcely contributed to the resolution. Leaders such as China’s Xi Jinping delivered speeches in the videoconference, but President Trump did not join in. The adopted resolution calls for member states and international organizations to continue working together toward the development of cures and vaccines, and also for the World Health Organization (WHO) to determine the path of infection taken by the virus. The EU and Australia took the lead, with China as the last to sponsor. In contrast, the U.S. never did become a sponsor, only grudgingly agreeing to the resolution.

Trump criticized the WHO as a “puppet of China” and warned in a letter sent to WHO Director-General Tedros that unless substantial improvements were seen within 30 days, the U.S. would consider ending funding permanently and withdrawing from the WHO. The U.S. has already frozen funding to the WHO. To suggest withdrawal and to forcibly attempt to assert one’s own interests serves only to incite opposition from the international community.

The U.S. has always been able to take the lead in developing vaccines and supporting developing countries. If Trump continues to make self-serving comments and hold his anti-science position with the presidential election in mind, it will inevitably result in a loss of American prestige abroad.

However, questions about China’s response are still lingering. International investigations into the origins of COVID-19 and the route of infection were included in the resolution, but China upheld its position that the evaluations should start only after the infections have come to an end. This means there is no way of knowing when investigations would even begin.

Furthermore, China blocked Taiwan from participating as an observer, despite many of the member states advocating for Taiwan to join, due to its skilled handling of the virus. Taiwan should be allowed to join when the assembly reconvenes later in the year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the greatest crises since the formation of the WHO. The international community needs to support the WHO so that the world does not fall into dysfunction, entrapped by the antagonism between the U.S. and China.