Polio was reduced to an all-time low of 21 wild poliovirus cases in 1996. That same year, the Regional Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication in the Western Pacific was established. The Regional Commission is an independent body of eight international public health experts. Its first task was to set the standards and criteria to be followed by every country and area in the Region. Five meetings of the Regional Commission were held to prepare countries and areas for certification. During the sixth meeting, from 27 to 28 October 2000 in Kyoto, Japan, 16 countries and the Pacific islands subregion (representing 20 countries and areas of the Pacific), submitted their final documentation for review.

To be certified as polio-free, every country and area of the Western Pacific Region provided evidence consistent with the absence of indigenous wild poliovirus for a period of at least three years, under conditions of high-quality surveillance for polio. This evidence was documented by National Certification Committees and was provided to the Regional Commission, which had to be satisfied with the accuracy of the data. All countries and areas also had to document the measures that are in place to detect, report, and respond to imported polio cases.

The Regional Commission handed its decision on 29 October to Dr Shigeru Omi, WHO’s Regional Director for the Western Pacific. Dr Omi announced the Commission's decision to those gathered at the Kyoto Meeting for the Declaration of Poliomyelitis Eradication in the Western Pacific Region.

The certification of the Western Pacific Region as polio-free has been an important step towards the global eradication of polio.

The WHO Region of the Americas also achieved polio-free status and was certified in 1994. The European Region was certified in June 2002. Currently 134 countries in the world are certified polio-free.

Until the global goal of polio eradication is reached, the Western Pacific Region must maintain high-quality surveillance and immunization to guard against the risk of imported polio cases. The Regional Certification Commission continues to oversee this process and meet regularly to review the situation in each country.