LOL. Bullshit. HIV does not give a f.ck (but gets in by one) about
prudery, Victorianism, or being a libertine.

Sex is fun, marvelous and enjoyable often. It can be boring or
routine.

Then there's rape which I don't think any one considers sex but rather
an act of violence.

HIV does NOT preclude sex or mean people should not have sex any more
than syphilis or gonorrhea does. It means people should be aware of
risks and take precautions. Skydivers don't jump without a parachute,
for crying out loud, unless they want to die.

Indeed, taking that metaphor further, you're like the skydiver who
wants PROOF of the existence of gravity before he'll don a parachute.
Where's the SINGLE paper that PROVES gravity exists. Oh! You just want
to take my joy of jumping away!!

Well, Paul, I predict a large, unpleasant splat in your future.

Get your T cells checked.

        George M. Carter

"PaulKing" <aimulti@aimultimedia.com> wrote in message

26/06/2001

General Assembly Plenary

Twenty-sixth Special Session

4th Meeting (AM)

AFFORDABLE TREATMENTS, EXPANDED ACCESS TO CARE, URGENT NEED FOR RESOURCES

ARE MAJOR ISSUES AS SPECIAL SESSION ON HIV/AIDS CONTINUES

As the General Assembly continued its twenty-sixth special session on
HIV/AIDS this morning, Ireland's Prime Minister urged the international
community to take the devastating impact of the pandemic into account when
assessing debt relief, and even cancel the debt of those countries with a
high prevalence of HIV/AIDS.

He also called on the international community to place the debate on access
to medicine within a wider context of care, stating that "we must work to
support the widows, orphans and the elderly, for their need for support is
immediate and they cannot wait".  He expressed strong support for European
Community efforts to establish a system of tiered pricing of medicines, and
informed the special session that Ireland would spend an additional $30
million per year directly on helping the poorest in the fight against AIDS.

Also addressing the issue of affordable treatments, the President of the
United Republic of Tanzania said that pharmaceutical companies did not
really make most of their profits in developing countries.  The prices of
anti-retroviral drugs should therefore be lowered further.  He asked the
developed countries to agree to a mechanism which would absorb genuine
losses sustained by the pharmaceutical companies.

In connection with the Secretary-General's proposed Global Health Fund,
Nauru's representative submitted a proposal from her Government calling for
each Member State to contribute to that Fund an amount equal to $1 per head
of its population.  Her Government was ready to pledge its share, she added.

The representative of the Philippines said that an effective response to the
pandemic must include attention to the plight of migrant workers and their
families.  Governments must consider providing a basic minimum package of
information on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and
HIV/AIDS and the corresponding diagnostic, early treatment and counselling
services to people moving across their borders.  He hoped to see those
requirements as part of this session's collective programme.

The Minister for Development Cooperation of Denmark informed the special
session that in 2001 her Government would allocate an additional $9.5
million in direct support to specific preventive HIV/AIDS interventions in
sub-Saharan Africa in cooperation with the United Nations system.  That
amount would also rise substantially over the next two to three years, she
added.

The Minister of Health and Social Services of Finland said that no single
approach would contain the epidemic.  To meet all necessary demands,
billions of dollars and other resources were needed.  His Government would
therefore contribute some 40 million Finnish marks to UNAIDS this year.
Also, in the future, the Finnish Government intended to support HIV/AIDS
programmes at a considerably higher level than in the past.

The Prime Minister of Benin as well as the Vice-Presidents of Gambia and
Panama also made statements.

Ministers and high government officials from Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Egypt,
India, Lao People's Democratic Republic, New Zealand, Slovenia, Namibia,
Croatia, Côte d'Ivoire, Monaco, Sudan, Republic of Korea, Lithuania, Russian
Federation and Myanmar, made statements.

Also addressing the Assembly were the representatives of Uruguay, Syria,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Brunei Darussalam, Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia, Bahrain, Greece and Bolivia.

The Assembly will continue its special session at 3 p.m. today.

Background

The General Assembly met this morning to continue its twenty-sixth special
session on the review of the problem of human immunodeficiency
virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in all its aspects.  For
background on the session, please see press release GA/9883 issued on 25
June.

Statements

BENJAMIN WILLIAM MKAPA, President of the United Republic of Tanzania:  For a
country like Tanzania, even developing the national capacity to effectively
and efficiently treat all sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis,
malaria and opportunistic infections on our own is impossible; so is the
prospect of building the national capacity for blood screening, for
widespread HIV testing and counseling, for measuring viral loads in
patients, for the infrastructure to deliver and monitor the dispensation of
anti-retroviral drugs, and finally the cost of the anti-retroviral drugs
themselves.  We thank those pharmaceutical companies that have agreed to
offer the drugs at cost.  But for Tanzania, where half of the people lives
on less than a dollar a day, drugs that cost a dollar a day remain only a
dream for most of the victims.

This special session should, therefore, not only make an eloquent call for
help and partnership, but also determine the form it should take.  I thank
those that have already made or promised contributions to the Global Fund,
and I call for more to restore life.  Secondly, the least developed
countries should be accorded total debt forgiveness, on the understanding
that considerable relief will be directed towards combating HIV/AIDS.
Pharmaceutical companies do not really make most of their profits in those
countries.  So the prices of the anti-retroviral drugs should be lowered
further.  We ask developed countries to agree to a mechanism whereby they
can absorb the genuine losses to the pharmaceutical companies.

There are those who say cheap drugs are not a priority for Africa.  We also
do not think they are a panacea.  But we so say they are important.  Every
life they extend is as important in Africa as it is in rich countries.  For
every baby that is saved from being infected by its mother, we are building
the foundation of the future of our continent.

There are those who accuse the Secretary-General of raising unrealistic
expectations.  To us, that is not the problem.  The real problem is lack of
political will among some of the rich countries and corporations.  No, the
Secretary-General is not raising unrealistic expectations.  He is only
asking the world to do what is in its collective power to achieve in
partnership, in human solidarity, to save millions of lives, particularly in
Africa.  What are the limits of realism when nearly three million people in
sub-Saharan Africa died of AIDS-related diseases last year alone, and more
will die this year?

BERTIE AHERN, Prime Minister of Ireland:  I have come to this General
Assembly to pledge Ireland's support for a comprehensive global partnership
to fight the global HIV/AIDS emergency.  As part of that effort, I wish to
announce that Ireland will spend an additional $30 million per year directly
on helping the poorest of the poor in the fight against AIDS.

This session can be a real milestone in the battle against HIV/AIDS.  We
have a United Nations Secretary-General who has led the global response, and
I agree with him that leadership is the single most important factor in
reversing the epidemic.  The Member States must match his determination to
reach out to people in communities devastated and isolated by the epidemic,
which has claimed more victims than any conflict since World War II.

I am convinced that to combat AIDS, we must accelerate and strengthen global
efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.  We will not win the fight against the
disease without improved international terms of trade, an end to the
impossible debt burden on poor countries, increased development and the
achievement of international development goals.  My Government has targeted
prevention campaigns at vulnerable groups, and cases of HIV infection are
now rising among heterosexuals.  These trends deeply concern me.  They show
the absolute importance of continuing to work to overcome the forces of
denial, prejudice and fear.

The debate on access to medicine must be placed within a wider context of
access to care.  We must work to support the widows, orphans and the
elderly, for their need for support is immediate -- they cannot wait.  We
welcome the participation of the pharmaceutical industry in the dialogue to
improve access to medicine.  We also strongly support the efforts of the
European Community to establish a system of tiered pricing.  Our response to
the AIDS crisis will fail without substantial additional resources.  The
United Nations target of spending 0.7 per cent of gross national product
(GNP) for official development assistance (ODA) is very important in this
respect.  A sustained global effort to reach that target would release
enough resources to fight poverty and tackle the global AIDS crisis.  And I
firmly believe that the devastating impact of the disease needs to be taken
into account when assessing debt relief.  If that means that the countries
with high prevalence of HIV/AIDS should receive debt cancellation, Ireland
would agree.

IBRAIMOV OSMONAKYN, State Secretary of Kyrgyzstan:  The Kyrgyz Republic is
on one of the main drug-trafficking routes of the world, and this has
brought the spread of HIV infection through drug users.  In the last four
months the number of those infected has increased 15 times in the southern
part of the country.  To combat the problem, we have developed a
multi-sectoral approach addressing targeted populations.  The United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA)
and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) have assisted
with implementation of programmes.  Our Government has provided $100,000 in
support of such projects, and has helped with the mobilization of funds from
other donors.

There is a satisfactory programme, but it remains incomplete due to lack of
funding.  For that reason, a National Strategic Programme has been
developed.  Youth, IV drug users, and commercial sex workers have been
targeted.  Much has been accomplished within the National Programme, but
inter-governmental action would provide the most efficiency.  Central Asia
has a unique opportunity to prevent further spread of the disease.  For that
reason, regional conferences have been held in preparation for the special
session of the General Assembly.  The governments involved are ready to
accelerate their programmes to combat HIV/AIDS.

Vulnerable groups and partnerships are priorities for future actions; the
experience of Africa provides a warning to those countries that still have
low levels of infections.  Preventive programmes must be expanded now.

ISATOU NJIE-SAIDY, Vice-President of Gambia:  the special session is most
timely; in fact it is long overdue.  The AIDS virus is the single most
significant threat to the very survival of humankind.  Last year alone, 5.6
million people were newly infected with HIV and 2.8 million deaths have
occurred.  More depressing is that about half of all people who acquire HIV
become infected before they turn 25 and die of AIDS before their 35th
birthday.  This age factor makes HIV/AIDS a most urgent problem for all
nations.  Contributing to the crisis is a conspiracy of silence that shrouds
HIV/AIDS.

Countries such as ours still have a window of opportunity that is growing
smaller in diameter with the passage of each day.  It is in this context,
therefore, that the special session provides the framework for efforts at
the global, regional and country levels.  The Health for Peace Initiative
proposed by my Government was launched in Dakar, Senegal, last November.
This Initiative is about enhancing partnership and peace in our subregion
through the promotion of health and the prevention of epidemics.

The Government, in collaboration with civil society organizations, has
worked tirelessly to educate and create awareness on HIV/AIDS.  Religious
leaders, community and political leaders, and women's and youth groups have
all been sensitized on HIV/AIDS prevention and control.  These efforts,
coupled with our resolve to strengthen the health care delivery system and
other related institutions, such as the Department of State for Education,
augur well for our fight against HIV/AIDS.

However, there are still some who even question the very existence of HIV.
This form of denial only inhibits the maintenance of positive behaviours and
attitudes necessary for the prevention of infections and diseases.  Denial
only breeds complacency with all its negative consequences.  Another
inhibiting factor is the assumption that HIV/AIDS is a matter exclusively
for the Department of State for Health.  This is largely why the Government,
in collaboration with the World Bank and other partners, has developed the
HIV/AIDS Rapid Response Project.

ARTURO VALLARINO, Vice-President of Panama:  We have all agreed that the
disease does not respect national borders and is not limited to exclusive
social groups.  Any State action to deal with the pandemic must go hand in
hand with a social contract defining the rights of citizens, including those
affected by AIDS. We must also educate our people from an early age to
effectively eradicate the scourge.  A large number of young people being
infected by AIDS testifies to the fact that it is necessary to pay special
attention to the types of behaviour which lead to infection.

My Government has chalked up some achievements in the fight against AIDS,
including the improvement of social attention to those suffering to the
disease. Our health policies stress prevention, research, treatment and
psychological support.  In January 2000, AIDS was declared a State problem.
Recently, a law on AIDS was passed, and a national programme against
HIV/AIDS is being implemented.  The key to future success can be found in
the citizens' awareness and human solidarity.  It is important to stress
that no person can avoid his or her responsibility in the fight against
AIDS.  Community involvement is also important.

In the more advanced countries, the fight against AIDS is easier due to the
availability of resources.  The proposed world fund for HIV/AIDS will foster
the development of projects linked with the problem.  However, it needs to
be fair and non-exclusive in allocation of resources.  In the meantime, each
country must promote policy of social responsibility to raise the resources
needed to alleviate the impact of the scourge.  Not a single cooperation
instrument should be ignored.

HONG SUN HUOT, Minister of Health and Chair of the National AIDS Authority
of Cambodia:  Since HIV was first diagnosed in Cambodia in 1991, the country
has experienced a rapid rise in infections.  Response has come from the
national level, with the King and Queen working to reduce the stigma of
people living with the disease and the legislature working to ensure their
rights.  From civil society, the private sector, Government ministries and
the communities, a multi-sectoral approach is being fostered.  The country
is now considering HIV/AIDS as a development issue as well.

However, these efforts are in urgent need of resources and capacity
development.  Intensified awareness-raising, education and treatment for
young people -- especially for young girls -- need to become an increased
priority.  Our next goal is to provide care to those who are already
infected and for whom facilities and affordable drugs are needed.  Community
support systems also need to be strengthened.

Cambodia fully supports the global fund to fight HIV/AIDS and endorses the
Global Declaration of Commitment.  There is no room for complacency:
efforts against AIDS must expand.

BRUNO AMOUSSOU, Prime Minister of Benin:  Benin has great hope in the
present session.  My country has a population of 6.2 million and had its
first case of HIV in 1985.  The prevalence of HIV/AIDS has increased tenfold
over the past 10 years and primarily affects young people.  It has had an
impact on health expenses and compromises the achievements of development.
It has caused Benin to elaborate a strategic national plan covering the
period 2001-2005 to combat HIV/AIDS.

A glance at the evolution of the pandemic in Africa reveals that it is
impossible to tackle it with isolated actions.  It is this reality that led
African leaders at the Abuja Summit in April to take a decision to act, and
to act together.  There is a shared political will on the continent to
assign to the struggle the attention it deserves.  It is also important for
the international community to commit to help not only national efforts but
also regional programmes in Africa.

The implementation of all these actions requires effective logistical
support and adequate financial resources.  Benin, placed on the list of
least developed countries (LDCs), would not have been able to evolve a
national response to AIDS without the support of its development partners.
I would like to make a special mention of UNAIDS and its Executive Director,
Peter Piot, for the attention they have given to my country's efforts.

Benin decided to use part of the funds saved from the lightening of its debt
burden in the fight against HIV/AIDS.  Around $3 million had been allocated
to national efforts.  Benin welcomes the initiative of the Secretary-General
to create a Global Fund and hopes that the Fund will be fed by additional
resources  -- and not by reassignment of funds allocated for development
aid.

ISMAIL SALLAM, Minister of Health and Population of Egypt:  Poverty and bad
socio-economic conditions are accelerating the spread of AIDS in poor
countries. Prevention should take priority and affordable therapy should be
available.  Weak health infrastructure, however, seriously limits those
measures, and its strengthening needs to be a priority.  Health policies for
under-privileged groups should also be carefully addressed.  The empowerment
of women is particularly important.

In addition, research should be encouraged, and, most importantly, we must
solve the problem of affordable and accessible medicine.  A realistic
approach must be developed.  We believe that a partnership between
multinational and local pharmaceutical industries could be one of the most
promising solutions for this major problem.

It is important to ensure a sustainable, holistic, multi-sectoral approach
to the entire problem, integrating the efforts of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs).  Those are especially important for under-privileged
and inaccessible groups.  Moral and religious values have protected many
countries, and we should not omit these resources when they are now
desperately needed.  Finally, financial support is a major limitation to all
our strategies.  For that reason, the development of a global fund is a good
start.  But sustainability, effectiveness and correct priority determination
must be ensured.  Egypt will work with solidarity towards this noble cause.

SONIA GANDHI, Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of India:
Sub-Saharan Africa has borne the brunt of the epidemic so far, but its
ravages are beginning to be felt in Asia and elsewhere.  To prevent the high
prevalence rates now seen in Africa, the declaration we adopt must address
the needs of all affected countries.  The thrust of our global effort should
be on prevention, not restricted to the high-risk groups, but reaching out
to all sections of the population, particularly such vulnerable groups as
students, youth, migrant workers, rural women and children.  Large-scale
prevention programmes can be put into operation only by involving community
representatives and grass-roots democratic institutions, and, with them,
leaders from social, cultural and faith-based groups.  The aim should be to
bring about a behavioural change among people at large.

Resource-poor developing countries need strategies different from those
followed in the developed world -- strategies rooted in their socio-cultural
environment, with communication strategies tailored to the sensitivities of
people in traditional societies.  While the civil society has an important
role to play, where it is weak or ill-organized, Governments have an even
more crucial part.

In India, we have an all-party consensus on this issue.  We also have a
scientific methodology to monitor prevalence levels in the general
population.  While prevention is paramount, care and support for those
infected cannot be secondary in importance, or restricted only to the
provision of medical services. Support from the family and the community at
large is vital.

The introduction of anti-retrovirals presents a serious challenge in India.
Substantial additional resources are needed through international funding
over at least a decade.  The issue of additional resources, as identified in
the Secretary-General's report, is the most critical.  The special session
is topical in view of the recent commitment to create a global mechanism to
fund HIV/AIDS programmes in developing countries.  The norms for eligibility
for this fund must be flexible, its resources must be equitably apportioned,
and it should be designed to serve the needs of all regions of the world
carrying high burdens of the disease.

PONEMEK DALALOY, Minister of Public Health of the Lao People's Democratic
Republic:  The first case of HIV was detected in my country in 1990 and the
first case of AIDS in 1992.  By December 2000, there were 717 cases of HIV
and 190 cases of AIDS, and there has been a slow increase in infections.
Despite the low prevalence of AIDS in the country, we recognize that as a
full member of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a
land-locked country, we are increasingly a transit country and we are seeing
increasing tourism.  Since Asia is, after Africa, the most vulnerable
region, the threat must not be under-estimated.

The emphasis in our national HIV/AIDS policy is prevention through the
promotion of safer sexual behaviour.  While addressing the issues of care,
support and mitigation and not stigmatizing the high-risk groups, we will
focus on primary prevention.  We are committed to the concept of safer
sexual behaviour.  This includes making condoms available in 100 per cent of
risky sexual situations, as well as frank and explicit health education
aimed at high-risk groups, school children and the general population.  The
risk of not disseminating correct information is too high.  Voluntary
testing, counselling, care and support all have a role, but our emphasis
must be on prevention through safer sexual behaviour.

ANNETTE KING, Minister of Health of New Zealand:  Prevention and treatment
of HIV/AIDS will work only if we are prepared to be honest about who is at
risk, and about how we can effectively respond.  Political leaders must
provide leadership.  In order to do that, they must constantly learn and be
able to adapt programmes and policies.  In New Zealand, prevention targeted
to the most-affected groups involved heated debate, but it worked.  Hiding
behind taboos about prostitution, sex before marriage, the use of condoms,
homosexuality, and drug use by injection will doom millions.

The fight must be on many fronts.  Heterosexual transmission is the major
challenge worldwide and, therefore, women's voices must be listened to.
Discriminatory attitudes towards people with HIV and AIDS must be honestly
addressed.  While prevention is the key, treatment is also important.

New Zealand supports the right of developing countries to utilize all
available avenues to them, within international law, to obtain affordable
drugs.  It calls for a focus on small nations, particularly those in the
Pacific, where the growing risk of an uncontrolled epidemic needs attention
at the highest levels.

DUSAN KEBER, Minister of Health of Slovenia:  Slovenia is a low-level
epidemic country.  Far less than one individual per 1000 inhabitants is
living with HIV/AIDS.  In contrast with many other countries of Central and
Eastern Europe, there is as yet no evidence of a rapid spread of HIV/AIDS
among the growing population of injecting drug users and their sexual
partners.  The latest national strategy for HIV/AIDS prevention and care has
been adopted at the multi-sectoral national conference in 1995 and confirmed
by the Ministry of Health in 1996.

The Government of Slovenia has responded early and effectively.
Information, education and communication activities in the country have
aimed at reducing risk-taking and encouraging responsible sexual behaviour.
In addition, groups at highest behaviourial risk have been also targeted.
Men who have sex with men were supported in designing their own preventive
interventions.  A network of centres for the prevention and treatment of
drug addiction was established on a primary healthcare level.  The
Government has also supported the NGO involvement in the programmes for
injecting drug users.  Everyone in need has access to voluntary and
confidential counselling and HIV/AIDS testing, effective treatment for
sexually-transmitted diseases and high-quality care for HIV/AIDS.

There is no room for complacency.  Current activities need to be sustained
and strengthened.  We are fully aware that investment now will result in a
lower HIV/AIDS burden in the future.  Slovenia is ready to share its
knowledge and experience with other countries, and to participate in any
regional and global initiatives for developing effective strategies in
response to the epidemic.

LIBERTINA AMATHILA, Minister of Health and Social Services, Namibia:  That
the protection and fulfilment of human rights is essential in the context of
the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  My Government has thus developed a policy and legal
framework in partnership with civil society.  This provides a rights-based
approach to the epidemic and outlaws discrimination on the basis of
infection.  A Namibian HIV/AIDS Charter of Rights was also adopted in
December 2000.

Since independence in 1990, the Government has consistently allocated no
less than 15 per cent of its operational budget to health.  A substantial
part of this budget is spent on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment
programmes.  The pandemic is also adequately covered in our Second National
Development Plan.  In addition, at the regional level member States of the
Southern African Development Community (SADC) have taken joint initiatives
including the SADC Multi-Sectoral HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework and Programme
of Action 2000-2004.

My delegation calls for research in the development of vaccines against HIV
strains prevalent in the regions most affected by the pandemic.  Life-saving
drugs must be made available and affordable to those most in need.  National
governments need to take ownership of HIV/AIDS programmes.  For developing
countries to contain the spread of the epidemic, they need additional
resources.  We therefore commend the initiative to establish the Global
Health Fund, welcome the pledges made so far and encourage the donor
community to make more contributions.  The criteria for the allocation of
funds should also be based on the magnitude of the problem and not on the
perceived level of country income.

ANA STAVLJENIC-RUKAVINA, Minister of Health of Croatia:  With a total of

171 AIDS cases registered between 1986 and 2000, it could be said that
Croatia is a country with a low prevalence of HIV/AIDS.  Nonetheless,
Croatia appears to be in the initial phase of the epidemic.  With the rate
of HIV/AIDS infection increasing ominously in the region, building a
committed and supportive environment is a priority for many of our
governments, including Croatia.  Our national policy of fighting HIV/AIDS
has been in place since 1985.

Through implementing this national policy, Croatia has devised a number of
essential programmes, which include the institutionalization of treatment
and awareness through the creation of a Centre for HIV/AIDS in 1986 and a
Reference Centre for AIDS in 1992.  In addition, a national educational
campaign was launched in 1987.  Numerous educational activities have also
been undertaken in the media and publications designed for elementary school
children, adolescents, HIV/AIDS patients and the medical profession.
Furthermore, Croatia has been committed to providing the best possible care
for those infected with HIV/AIDS, including the provision of highly active
anti-retroviral treatment fully covered by the national health insurance
scheme.

Despite relatively good results in prevention and treatment in Croatia,
there remains no room for complacency.  Many factors exist in the country
which favour the spread of HIV/AIDS, including high unemployment, migration
and an economy in transition.  The immediate overriding task for Croatia is
to develop a more multi-sectoral approach to tackling HIV/AIDS.  We agree
that partnerships should be further developed, and recognize the valuable
role of the private sector.

ABOU DRAHAMANE SANGARE, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Côte d'
Ivoire:  From the time of the first cases of HIV/AIDS diagnosed in Côte d'
Ivoire in 1985, there has been a growing national response in the country,
through the National Institute of Health and a central coordinating bureau.
In 1997, at the international conference at Abijan, a solidarity fund was
established.  But the prohibitive cost of anti-retroviral drugs does not
permit the treatment of many people.

Today, Côte d'Ivoire is extremely affected by HIV, with more than a million
people infected out of 15 million inhabitants.  Because of this dire
situation, many national initiatives have recently been put into place and
progress has been made.

But socio-cultural factors hamper the struggle.  In addition to behavioural
patterns, the debt burden and other problems are also obstacles.  Therefore,
the struggle must not only be a medical one.  The problem is one of society,
of behaviour, of development and of the survival of humanity.  But, in
addition, affordable medicine must be available to all those with the
disease, resources must be made available and political leaders must make a
renewed commitment.  We appeal to the entire international community to
devote appropriate and exceptional efforts to the struggle against HIV/AIDS.

OSMO SOININVAARA, Minister of Health and Social Services of Finland:
Prevention of the further spread of the pandemic should be the major focus
of our response.  Quality primary health care structures are the key issue
here.  A sound, universally accessible health care system, including sexual
and reproductive health as well as social and psychological support and
care, is a cornerstone of prevention and the basis for treatment.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the worst-affected region for the HIV/AIDS epidemic
and needs to be the focus of action.  The situation has also worsened in
other regions, thus calling for urgent preventive measures.  We lost many
important years in prevention because of shame to call things by their
correct names.  We do not have any other alternative than to overcome our
taboos, like people in Africa have done in recent years.  How can prevention
be successful if we do not identify the vulnerable groups and call them by
their correct names?

We have learned that no single approach will contain the epidemic.  To meet
all necessary demands we need billions of dollars and other resources.  To
show our commitment to this task, my Government has decided to contribute
some

40 million Finnish marks to UNAIDS this year.  Also, in the future, the
Finnish Government intends to keep the support to HIV/AIDS programmes at a
considerably higher level than in the past.  Along with the Union, we
welcome the establishment of the new global fund.  We feel strongly that
there should be only one such fund for this purpose.

ANITA BAY BUNDEGAARD, Minister for Development Cooperation of Denmark:  Only
prevention can halt the spread of the pandemic and it must be given a clear
priority.  Evidence from African countries such as Uganda and Senegal, and
lately also South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania, are
encouraging in this respect.  Political leadership at all levels of society,
breaking the silence and confronting stigma and denial, will eventually pay
off in millions of lives saved.

We welcome the Declaration of Commitment as a comprehensive normative
framework for the fight against HIV/AIDS, both in scope and in substance.
But we are disappointed by the continuing controversy surrounding human
rights, and in particular the issue of gender equality and the sexual and
reproductive rights of girls and women.  Inequitable gender relations and
opportunities lie at the very heart of the pandemic.  Only by improving the
status of women can we hope to curb the pandemic.

Now is the time to move from words to deeds.  There is a clear lack of new
and additional resources.  Furthermore, we are in it for the long haul and
we had better recognize it.  Denmark will strengthen efforts against
HIV/AIDS, not only in health sector programmes but also in education,
agriculture and other sector programmes.  In 2001, we are allocating
additional funds of $9.5 million in direct support to specific preventive
HIV/AIDS interventions in sub-Saharan Africa in cooperation with the United
Nations system.  This amount will rise substantially over the next two to
three years.

PHILIPPE DESLANDES, Government Counsellor for the Interior of Monaco:  The
pandemic is an international security issue, and the heads of State of the
Organization of African Unity made a statement to that effect in Abuja this
year. There is a particular need to provide assistance to AIDS orphans.
Resources that may be established at the international level will be
effective only if all the infected can be identified and treated, while
education continues to protect the rest of the population.  The difficulty
stems not only from the gap between the developed and the developing
countries but also from cultural differences, which must be taken into
account.  The identification of vulnerable groups is a sine qua non for
implementation of both national and global plans.

Governments and citizens alike must take charge of education and information
efforts.  In particular, it is important to educate girls regarding the
dangers of premature sexual activity.  The use of condoms and microbicides
should be encouraged.  Screening campaigns are not conceivable without
guaranteed social services and access to cure.  The example to follow is
Brazil, where access to triple therapy is guaranteed by the Government.  The
big pharmaceutical companies must be involved in the efforts to obtain a
vaccine as soon as possible.

The resources needed for the fight against AIDS are considerable, and ODA
will not be enough.  We must attract private and private contributions, and
Monaco would contribute to the new global health fund.  It will also provide
financial support to UNAIDS.

AHMED BILAL OSMAN, Federal Minister of Health of Sudan:  We welcome the
global fund to combat AIDS and hope it will be available to countries on an
equitable basis.  The African continent has the lion's share of the world's
suffering, burying three-quarters of those who have fallen in the world
since the start of the epidemic.  That impact represents a severe obstacle
to development.

The numbers of infected are on the increase in the Sudan as well, because of
geographic and political factors and natural disasters.  Repressive measures
against us are also obstacles in all areas.  In spite of these challenges,
Sudan has committed itself to combating the disease.  It has participated in
regional initiatives and has created a National Council to coordinate all
sectors in the struggle against AIDS.  Taxes on tobacco and cigarettes will
help to fund such programmes.

In these efforts, we require the support of the international community to
end the war in southern Sudan, and also to end the international blockade
against our country.  In addition, further regional cooperation will enhance
all individual country efforts.  We are fully convinced that national
success stories in combating the epidemic rely on sound programme planning
and mobilization of the necessary financial support.

LEE KYEONG-HO, Vice-Minister of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea:
Bearing in mind that young people aged between 15-24 years are the most
vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, special programmes targeting them should be
developed.  My country has implemented various education, information and
counseling initiatives for adolescents and youth.  All middle and high
schools have specially trained teachers in charge of sex education and
counselling for students.  In addition, we have implemented a special peer
programme that trains students to educate their classmates and other youth
on sexual health.

Recognizing the mutually inclusive relationship between prevention and care,
and the necessity of a multi-faceted response, the Republic of Korea enacted
a special law on HIV/AIDS in 1987.  According to this law, everyone,
including migrant workers, has the right to a free confidential blood test.
Anyone infected with the virus can confidentially receive special care and
medical treatment with Government support.  We have also encouraged and
facilitated various care and treatment programmes led by NGOs, including
organizations for people living with HIV/AIDS.  As a result, many infected
people have voluntarily dedicated themselves to work as counsellors to or
assistants for other infected people.

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) are effectively being
used as a comprehensive response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  Web sites raise
public awareness on the issue, destroy bias and stigmatism, disseminate
effective prevention and care information, and provide counselling and help.
The declaration adopted at this session must be translated into meaningful
action.  For this to succeed, strong cooperation at regional and
international levels in the future is essential.  Furthermore, we support
the establishment of a Global Health Fund and will contribute to it.

EDUARDAS BARTKEVICIUS, Vice-Minister of Health, Lithuania:  The low
prevalence of HIV/AIDS in my country may be attributed to the success of
joint efforts by the National AIDS Centre and other authorities, which
respond in a timely manner to situation changes and take lessons from both
the negative and positive experiences of other nations.  The epidemic is
mainly confined to injecting drug users and their partners, who constitute
the gravest threat for the immediate and explosive spread of HIV in the
country.

The increase in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in my region since
1990, and the emergence of sex workers on intravenous drugs, however,
indicate the potential for a slower, albeit more generalized, heterosexual
HIV/AIDS epidemic. Young people are particularly at risk of infection.
Special education programmes for different age groups were therefore
launched in Lithuania.  The first National AIDS Programme was carried out in
1990-1994.  This Programme is based on the assumption that the epidemic can
only be stopped with the participation of the whole society.

The National Programme is designed to fight all forms of discrimination and
stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, and seeks to provide comprehensive social
and medical services to infected people.  Healthcare objectives, however,
cannot be achieved without appropriate financing.  Therefore we have
implemented strong advocacy strategies to raise the awareness of the
Government, policy makers, ministries, opinion leaders and the general
public about the impact of HIV/AIDS.  Today, the Lithuanian example shows
how a small State is able to take coordinated preventive actions to tackle
HIV/AIDS and prevent it from spreading.  We are prepared to share our
experience and are open to cooperation with other States in this field.

GENNADY ONISHCHENKO, First Deputy Minister of Health of the Russian
Federation:  it is crucial to set forth scientifically based and realistic
goals and benchmarks to fight HIV-infection.  Measures to confront HIV/AIDS
and other dangerous infectious diseases should be taken alongside national
and international efforts to address such global challenges as conflicts,
hunger and poverty.  We support the activities of the United Nations and its
specialized agencies, aimed at mobilizing broad international participation
to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The timely initiative of the Secretary-General to establish the global fund
for HIV/AIDS is of special importance.  Such a fund should be open and
universal in terms of resource mobilization and allocation, as well as in
providing assistance to all countries that might be in need of it.  This
means that the fund should take into account the specific needs of countries
facing the risk of rapidly increasing rates of infection.  We are ready to
cooperate with all partners on issues related to the establishment of the
fund and on defining the forms of our intellectual and material input.

In recent years, rising infection rates of HIV were registered in Russia.
That is why combating the spread of HIV/AIDS is one of our priority areas,
both at national and international levels.  Presently, we are actively
engaged in involving the business community, NGOs and religious groups in
activities aimed at seeking solutions to HIV/AIDS-related problems. This
serious deterioration is also taking place in the wider region of Central
and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.  The problem
received special attention at the meeting of the Council for Health
Cooperation in CIS member States, held on

19 June in Baku, Azerbaijan.

KYAW MYINT, Deputy Minister for Health, Myanmar:  Despite the gloomy picture
painted by reports, including some by the United Nations, I wish to
categorically state that HIV/AIDS is not rampant in my country.  This
misconception arose from statistics taken in high-risk areas, which are now
being used as representative figures for the whole nation.  We are therefore
grateful for recent attempts by international organizations to correct this
distortion and to arrive at a more realistic assessment.

Although the disease is not endemic in my country, we are fully aware of the
tremendous toll it could exact, not only on the victim but on society as a
whole.  Consequently HIV/AIDS has been designated as a disease of national
concern, and we are committed to fighting it by using all of our available
resources.  Even though international assistance has been limited, the
Ministry of Health has implemented a comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention and
control programme.  Health education geared towards behaviour change, care
and compassion, condom promotion, intravenous drug use, and blood safety are
some of the priorities of the programme.

Early in the year, the National AIDS Programme and UNAIDS drafted a joint
plan of action for prevention and control of the disease in Myanmar.  This
plan reflects the cultural characteristics and priorities of the country.
It contains technically sound strategies and is comprehensive in nature,
covering all aspects -- preventive, curative and rehabilitative.
Implementation of the plan, however, will require considerable financial
resources.  Thus we are mobilizing support for the plan from international
as well as local agencies.

ROSLYN HARRIS, First Lady of Nauru:  Today, a disease that requires no
passport or visa to enter our country and whose presence can only be
detected when it is too late, is in our midst, posing a threat to our
existence as a race.  This is why Nauru has prevention as the mainstay of
its national strategy, coordinated by the Ministry of Health and involving
the Ministry of Education, the various religious groups and civil society.
We believe that preventive measures are a crucial and cost-effective means
of impeding the spread of HIV/AIDS to our shores.  Our efforts are
complemented by prevention-based activities in the Pacific by regional
intergovernmental organizations, NGOs and international agencies, such as
UNAIDS.

The universal population at risk far exceeds that which is already living
with HIV/AIDS.  Resources are limited and dwindling, due to the imbalance in
the rate at which the epidemic and health care costs are escalating compared
to the rate at which resources are being maintained and replenished.  There
is no cure for HIV/AIDS and, as yet, there is no vaccine.  These factors
underscore the point that prevention must be the mainstay of the campaign
against the pandemic.

Respect for and protection of all human rights, particularly the rights of
women and girls, must be an integral part of any programme against HIV/AIDS.
In this regard, we support the call for governments that have not done so to
ensure that their national laws, policies and practices are inclusive and
enhance equality and participation for all, especially persons living with
HIV/AIDS.

In connection with the global fund, I have instructions from my Government
to submit to this Assembly a proposal that calls for each Member State of
the United Nations to contribute to the Fund an amount, in United States
dollars, equal to one dollar per head of its population.  My Government is
ready to pledge its share.

FELIPE PAOLILLO (Uruguay):  The traditional weapons to fight the enemy are
no longer effective.  The scale of the epidemic has reached global
proportions, and it continues to spread uncontrollably.  It is not with
declarations that we can overcome the problem.  It is necessary to act
urgently, adopting flexible and comprehensive approaches and seeking new
modalities of action.  We should bear in mind the specific characteristic of
the situation in each country, taking into account the question of human
rights.  It is vital to overcome the prejudices and stigma associated with
AIDS.

The disease mostly affects vulnerable groups, and we are focusing on them in
our approach.  In 1997, we created a national programme on AIDS, which is
working with several international agencies.  All AIDS patients in Uruguay
receive medical coverage and treatment, including major anti-retroviral
drugs.  These efforts have been rewarded with reduction in the
hospitalization rates, transmission from mother to child, and improvement of
patients' standard of living.

International cooperation against AIDS can only succeed if all players
concerned take part in the efforts.  All possible solutions can be
summarized in one word:  resources.  That implies the resources needed to
provide the necessary care and treatment to victims and those affected, to
educate the population and take care of orphans left behind.  Despite a
serious economic crisis, Uruguay has established a national fund to combat
AIDS.  At the international level, the beneficiaries of the globalized
economy must contribute to the global fight against the epidemic.  It should
be possible to collect the $10 billion needed to establish the global fund
to combat AIDS.

MIKHAIL WEHBE (Syria):  This special session is a great opportunity to
combat the epidemic, which is destroying the world.  We must live up to our
responsibilities.  Early on, the Government of Syria understood the danger
of this disease and saw that it was a cause of alarm.  Since 1987, we have
had a programme to combat HIV/AIDS.  We treat our citizens free of charge
and include AIDS treatment in our medical policies.  Also, we have a
national committee to combat AIDS, comprising government officials,
representatives of trade unions and grass-roots organizations.  We want to
raise the consciousness of the population and educate the most vulnerable
groups.

We are also conducting surveys on the epidemiological situation in the
country, as well as trying to give AIDS patients both physical and
psychological treatment, free of charge.  We are coordinating with blood
banks to ensure that donated blood is healthy.  As a result of these
efforts, the epidemic has not spread greater in Syria.  At the end of the
first quarter this year, there were

139 Syrians with AIDS and 86 non-Syrians.

Each State must draw up strategies to combat and treat the disease.  Global
efforts should focus on mobilizing resources as well as promoting scientific
research.  Poverty is among the factors which contributed to the spread of
the epidemic.  We need to set aside differences in combating the disease,
and to respect other's cultures and religious differences.

ENRIQUE A. MANALO (Philippines):  My country's HIV/AIDS situation can be
described as low infection/slow progression.  Although our response to the
disease has preceded any rapid increase in its prevalence, it does not alter
the urgent need to significantly reduce its prevalence and incidence.  An
effective response begins with the recognition of HIV/AIDS as a serious
challenge to a people's health and a nation's development.  In meeting this
challenge, Governments must adopt measures that ensure non-discrimination
and the protection of the rights and dignity of those living with AIDS.
Alternative livelihood opportunities must be provided to reintegrate
afflicted people with their families and communities.

For countries with low HIV/AIDS prevalence, attention must be given to the
more visible sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs).  The reality in
developing countries is that even the cost of prompt and effective treatment
of STDs remains prohibitive.  It must be made affordable.  Moreover, in
allocating international donor resources for HIV/AIDS, it would be wise to
maintain a constant portfolio for STDs, including HIV/AIDS, so as to have a
forward defence strategy against a future HIV/AIDS epidemic.

An effective response to the pandemic must include attention to the plight
of migrant workers and their families.  Governments must consider providing
a basic minimum package of information on the prevention of STDs and
HIV/AIDS and the corresponding diagnostic, early treatment and counselling
services to people moving across their borders.  We hope to see these
requirements as part of this session's collective programme.  The
Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has also included HIV/AIDS
on the agenda of its upcoming November Summit, in order to place the
pandemic at the top our respective national agendas to facilitate
collaboration on inter-State/cross-border issues, as well as the exchange of
technical expertise and experience.

HUSEIN ZIVALJ (Bosnia and Herzegovina):  It is high time for a strong and
united world action plan.  Now more than ever we need solidarity among rich
and poor, healthy and ill.  The poorest countries in Africa are the most
affected, and we should request the rich and developed countries to
significantly increase their assistance for medical treatment and research.

At the same time, the poorest and least developed countries must be assisted
in building their own capacities to establish accurate databases for easier
follow-up, without which it will be impossible to estimate achievements and
to plan future action.  Educating people and explaining all hazardous sexual
behaviour that leads to the fatal disease could contribute to preventing
infection.

We strongly support the adoption of the decision requesting the
Secretary-General to present an annual special report to the General
Assembly containing all relevant data at the national and regional levels to
assess success in fulfilling the tasks set out in the final document to be
adopted at the end of the special session.  The countries with the highest
percentage of people living with HIV/AIDS should submit national reports
even more often.

JAKSYLYK DOSKALIEV, Head of the delegation of Kazakhstan:  My country has
not been spared the effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  As early as the 1980s
we established a strategic programme to combat AIDS.  In recent years we
have created a Council for the coordination of preventive measures, aimed at
developing strategies for dealing with high-risk groups.

The spread of the disease is causing some concern in Kazakhstan, where

39 out of the country's 1799 HIV-positive patients have developed AIDS.
Moreover, the number of HIV-positive women is on the rise, although only two
of the

22 babies born of HIV-positive mothers are themselves HIV-positive.  The
national anti-AIDS programme, taking into account specific national
behaviours, has launched initiatives that seek to limit the infection rate
among IV drug users.  In fact, Kazakhstan lies on a major heroin trading
route, which fosters the spread of the disease.  Finally, Kazakhstan has
introduced an anti-AIDS programme in its prisons, which harbour 40 per cent
of the country's HIV-positive patients.

SERBINI ALI, Chairman of the delegation of Brunei Darussalam:  The HIV/AIDS
pandemic is a global crisis threatening peace and stability and undermining
economic development efforts and social cohesion.  Despite the fact that the
infection rate in our country remains low, the Government has taken measures
to make sure the situation does not deteriorate.

The foremost response has been to address the care of infected individuals,
but, at the same time, efforts have concentrated on prevention and control.
That includes protection of the blood supply, surveillance of high-risk
groups, and management and encouragement of the efforts of various
non-health sectors.  Main approaches also include awareness and education
campaigns, consistent with cultural beliefs and traditional values.

At the regional level, Brunei Darussalam is working with the task force of
the ASEAN.  At the international level, the Programme of Action to be
adopted by this session has laid down important goals for effectively
addressing the issue in a comprehensive manner.  Of utmost importance is, of
course, the political will and commitment to act on our promises.

DEJAN SAHOVIC (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia):  In years past, the HIV/AIDS
epidemic followed its slow, but steady pace in Yugoslavia.  At present,
there are 900 AIDS patients in the country, with just over 1000 registered
HIV-infected persons.  However, by some estimates, up to 10,000 people may
be HIV-positive.  While Yugoslavia is among the countries with low
prevalence of the disease, it has the agglomeration of all the factors known
to favour the outbreak and fast progress of the epidemic.  They account for
the vulnerability of young people, for whom risk-taking behaviour becomes
the basic life-style and a matter of choice.

Yugoslavia is prepared to make considerable efforts in mobilizing resources
to combat HIV/AIDS, including the establishment of a national committee on
HIV/AIDS; assistance to NGOs and civil society at large; special focus on
young people and preventive programmes for them; and measures to protect the
rights of the people living with AIDS.  We are also ready to join forces
with others and address the problem at the regional level.

Unfortunately, resources are scarce and cannot be shifted from other
sectors.  Like many other countries, including those in southeastern Europe,
Yugoslavia is not in the position to fight the disease alone.  We know that
the scope of the epidemic is enormous in Africa and some other regions.  We
therefore support the concept envisaged in the draft declaration of
commitment, providing for special attention to those regions.  However, our
region needs appropriate international assistance, as well.  Prevention now
will save many lives later. In this context, Yugoslavia welcomes the
proposal by the Secretary-General to set up a fund as a mechanism to
mobilize additional finances in order to help national programmes and
strategies and to ensure the use of resources in the most effective way.

JASSIM MOHAMMED BUALLAY (Bahrain): the problem of HIV/AIDS continues to
threaten the whole of mankind.  No region is immune to this pandemic.
Though HIV/AIDS is not a serious problem in Bahrain, we are taking
preventive steps to stop its spread.  A national programme was set up in
1982 and the Government has taken necessary measures, such as checking the
blood supply.  This, however, did not mean we did not have sympathy for
those who suffered from the disease.  We are willing to cooperate with
leaders to help stem this problem, whose victims outnumber the casualties of
war.  The HIV/AIDS cases in Bahrain are mainly among drug users and those
engaging in irresponsible sexual behaviour.  We have made concerted efforts
to prevent its spread, particularly among young people who are at the
highest risk.  I wish to pay tribute to all efforts in the Middle East
region to prevent and combat HIV/AIDS.

The special session must renew international and national commitments to
combat HIV/AIDS by taking practical action to examine the disease and the
conditions that surround it.  If we pool our efforts, we will be able to
eliminate this disease.  The first job is to make people aware of the
disease and its causes.  This has to be done by a well thought-out plan, and
sensitization has to be started at an early stage to prevent people from
being exposed to the disease.  Treatment is long and costly, so drugs must
be made affordable to the most disadvantaged people affected by the disease.
International cooperation is essential.

ELIAS GOUNARIS (Greece):  We would like to stress the need to face human
suffering in the spirit of unconditional care and support.  It is also
necessary to dissociate our personal beliefs and prejudices from the harsh
reality of the pandemic.  We need openness, information and the breaking of
taboos surrounding issues such as sexual orientation.  We must also combine
affordable access to care and medicine with appropriate quality control,
management and structures, and avoid superficial and ineffective approaches.
Priority should be given to removing political and legislative obstacles,
and to providing decent care to people with HIV/AIDS, with special emphasis
on vulnerable groups, including undocumented migrants.

There is also a need to ensure access to information and education on
interpersonal relations and HIV/AIDS, and to strengthen gender equality in
order to avoid behaviour which endangers the health of women.  We must also
endeavour to reduce the impact of natural disasters and armed conflicts on
the spread of the disease.  In addition, there is also a need to:  reduce
poverty, since the poor are the most vulnerable and least equipped to cope
with the epidemic; and to fight the discrimination, stigmatization and
alienation associated with HIV/AIDS.  We also stress the necessity of
building an international society based on solidarity.

Strong multi-sectoral partnerships are vital to the struggle against AIDS.
In addition, civil society has participated actively in the identification
of major issues and problems related to HIV/AIDS and in the fight against
the epidemic.  We commend and praise their solidarity.

ERWIN ORTIZ, Chairman of the delegation of Bolivia:  HIV/AIDS, through our
collective error, has become a threat to humanity.  Now we must create an
alliance of action to undertake a struggle at all levels, particularly at
the level of the individual.  It is imperative that we empower each
community and each region to protect individuals.

The international community now has the scientific and technical knowledge,
as well as the financial resources, to achieve our common objectives.  We
know that HIV/AIDS is concentrated in the least developed countries, the
lack of infrastructure providing a hotbed for the spread of the disease.

We must increase awareness campaigns at all levels, and make sure all have
access to drugs, with shared scientific knowledge.  The community network
document adopted in February in São Paolo contains many valuable policy
contributions, including free access to anti-retroviral drugs.  The coverage
of the Bolivian health system only reaches 70 per cent of the population
because of problems of accessibility.  International assistance is needed to
make it effective against the AIDS epidemic.  We fully support the draft
declaration of commitment and the global fund proposed by Secretary-General
Annan.