Do NGOs Have Politics？FMPAT and Taiwan’s Participation in World Health Organization

本研究以財團法人台灣醫界聯盟基金會（Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan, FMPAT）推動台灣加入世界衛生組織（World Health Organization, WHO）為例，探討非政府組織的「政治性」，即其影響決策的能力及與政府互動的程度，並且進一步指出NGO的政治性對其功能的發揮及組織的長期經營之影響。本研究發現台灣醫界聯盟基金會身為一個以公益目標為宗旨的非政府組織，與政府產生了既依賴又自主的多樣互動關係。這種政治性係源於社會及政治兩個層面的因素，並具體反映在該基金會成員得以晉見總統，促成行政院WHO跨部會小組之成立，還成為小組成員等事件。以該基金會推動台灣加入WHO為例，其政治性ㄧ方面使其有更多的資源將NGO的外交功能發揮更多效益，例如以民間團體的弱政治性做為遊說活動的潤滑劑；透過醫生專業知識作為推動台灣加入WHO之正當性，並透過每年的持續拜會建立並擴展國際人脈；此外籌組遊說團至世界衛生大會場內及場外表達國內民眾的高度關注，也對WHO、中國、美國、日本、歐盟等國家形成壓力。 另一方面，本研究指出NGO之工作若易受到政黨政治的波動，恐不利組織之擴張及永續發展。NGO在永續經營上，應善用其政治手段爭取資源，但以提升專業知識為核心，讓組織之生存不隨政黨輪替受到挑戰。此外，對於未來台灣在WHO的參與，不應滿足於現狀，而應善用該基金會的專業與經驗推動台灣在WHO的擴大參與。最後，未來我國在推動參與其他國際組織時，應善用NGO的專業性、海外僑胞團體的熱情與動員能力，透過跨部會小組作為政府與民間的合作平台，建立良好的溝通管道，以讓雙方在互相理解的基礎上進行角色分工，而在外交事務上能有所合作，讓民眾外交（public diplomacy）遍地開花。To clarify the issue of “Do NGOs have politics？”, this research leads to a positive answer by exploring how FMPAT promotes Taiwan’s participation in WHO. Moreover, to explore what kind of politics can NGOs have and in what form it may be shown, this research focuses on NGO’s ability to influence decision-making and the extent of its interaction with government. Furthermore, this research points out the influence of NGO’s politics on its function and its long term development. This research concluded that as an NGO aimed to promote public benefit, FMPAT do have a variety of politics in its interaction with government. This kind of politics is based on FMPAT’s social and political influence. Specifically, its politics is reflected from the fact that its member had access to advice President and to bring about President’s decision on establishing a intersectional task force on WHO under the lead of the Premier. The network with and resource from Chen Shui Bian''s administration made FMPAT possible to play more positive and multiple roles in promoting Taiwan’s participation in WHO. It provides a successful example of “NGO diplomacy” as well as “health diplomacy” under the context of Taiwan’s complex international relation. This research also indicates that if an NGO relies on one single political party too much, its operation would be easily influenced by the rotation of political parties, which is disadvantageous to its sustainable development. Hence, this research suggests that NGOs should use their politics as an approach to access government resource. At meanwhile, they should intensify their knowledge-based specialty as their power to extend their long term influence. Nevertheless, to promote Taiwan’s participation in other International Governmental Organization in the future, we can learn from FMPAT’s experience. Through a better cooperation platform for government and NGOs, they can work together in diplomacy affairs. Under the concept of “public diplomacy,” NGOs can bring new opportunity for Taiwan’s international participation