The government intends to urge the World Health Organization to review its initial response to the outbreak of the new coronavirus and adopt stricter rules that will require member states to report signs of any abnormality, it has been learned.
Japan plans to make such calls at WHO's World Health Assembly, which is scheduled to be conducted virtually starting Monday. It is making arrangements with other nations to adopt a resolution that includes these calls.
The WHO has been criticized for its delay in declaring the novel coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency. During the teleconference, Tokyo is expected to raise such issues as when the WHO should give warnings to member states and what role the emergency committee, which decides whether to issue an emergency declaration, should play.
Under current WHO rules, reporting is left to the discretion of member states. The WHO became aware of a pneumonia epidemic in Wuhan, China, not through reports from China, but through an online system. Japan intends to propose stricter rules to avoid delays in reporting and cover-ups.
As Taiwan is not allowed to participate in the WHO assembly even as an observer, Japan plans to seek Taiwan's participation, with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi saying, "It's not good that there is a geographic vacuum."
The United States and other countries are increasingly criticizing the WHO for its apparent pro-China stance. On the other hand, Japan has avoided criticizing China by name, while aiming for WHO reforms.
"It needs to be discussed whether the WHO had been functioning well," Motegi said at a press conference Tuesday.
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