Dr Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, is marking the 20th World AIDS Day at a ceremony in Durban, together with South Africa’s Deputy President, Ms Baleka Mbete and South African Health Minister Barbara Hogan.

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The appointment of Ms Carla Bruni-Sarkozy as Ambassador for the Protection of Mothers and Children Against HIV/AIDS of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is welcomed by UNAIDS. Deputy Executive Director Michel Sidibé was present at today’s event in Paris.

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As leaders gather in Qatar's capital, Doha, to take stock of the implementation of the 2002 Monterey Consensus on financing for development World AIDS Day 2008 is marked with a press conference and statement from the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

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Giant red ribbons displayed on Olympic Stadium to inspire the response to AIDS in China and beyond
Chinese AIDS authorities, with the support of UNAIDS, today unveiled five giant red ribbons on the iconic National Stadium - colloquially known as ‘the Bird’s Nest’ - to mark World AIDS Day. The display illustrates China’s commitment to the AIDS response and in particular, to the fight against stigma and discrimination.

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UNHCR marked World AIDS Day by reflecting on successes in the agency’s AIDS response while recognizing that there is still a long way to go. UNHCR is a cosponsor of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). 

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Celebrating women of courage in Washington D.C.
UNAIDS Office Washington is holding a week-long World AIDS Day visit by three women living with HIV from India, Swaziland and the US. The women hope that through sharing their stories of courage, determination and selfless service to their communities they will inspire leaders who will become champions on issues regarding women and AIDS.

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These are the messages behind a new Public Service Announcement and poster campaign that UNAIDS is launching featuring UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador Michael Ballack and fellow star footballer Emmanuel Adebayor.  In the game of football, the two players are fierce rivals, each representing the competing Premier League football clubs Arsenal and Chelsea. On they pitch they play hard to win - but off the pitch they are Uniting the World Against AIDS.

UNAIDS and Michael Ballack, who has worked with UNAIDS in his role as UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador since 2006 to raise awareness on HIV prevention, are pleased to have Emmanuel Adebayor join the ongoing effort of Uniting the World Against AIDS.

• Watch new PSA video: UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassadors Campaign: Michael Ballack & Emmanuel Adebayor
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Geneva in solidarity
In Geneva, a fundraising solidarity lunch and bake sale is taking place at the UNAIDS Secretariat. The co-organizers are UNAIDS, WHO, ILO, UNESCO, UNPlus, UNAIDS Staff Association, International AIDS Society, Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, International Bureau of Education, UN Cares, World YWCA and World Alliance of YMCA. It will be followed by a film festival and later this evening the UN family, missions, people living with HIV, faith communities and civil society groups will join together for a torchlight march and inter-religious service to commemorate World AIDS Day.

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Early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve the prospects for survival of newborn babies exposed to HIV, according to a report released today by four United Nations agencies.

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Marking World AIDS Day, UN staff from the Asia Pacific region launched a “UN Cares” regional programme yesterday in Bangkok.

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Today, on 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, the UNAIDS competition featuring superstar football player and UNAIDS Special Representative Michael Ballack has come to a close.

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) will celebrate five years of raising awareness and reducing the stigma of HIV by running a series of activities to mark World AIDS Day on 1 December. Players taking part in major international matches will wear red ribbons, as a global show of support for people living with HIV, while the India and England teams will meet young people affected by HIV ahead of the seventh ODI in Delhi. “The UNAIDS-ICC partnership is a good example of promoting social responsibility through sport,” said Michel Sidibe, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS. “The game of cricket and its players have helped to raise awareness about HIV among young people and to break down barriers of stigma in many countries,” he said.

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The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day is “Leadership.” Throughout 2008 the World AIDS Campaign invited people from around the world to make their pledge of personal commitment.

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UNESCO offices from Almaty to Yaoundé are organizing a wide range of activities, building on the theme of ‘leadership’ and the Organization's longstanding work on HIV.

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UNESCO has launched a redesigned a HIV Education Clearinghouse, an online library and knowledge sharing initiative, providing an interface in English, French and Spanish to technical resources on Education and HIV & AIDS.

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The International Labour Organization is hosting an exhibition of Zimbabwe sculptures by artists affected by HIV. It is also highlighting the progress made towards the adoption of the new labour standard on HIV and the world of work. A training workshop will run until 3 December on "Driving for Change: Training Toolkit on HIV/AIDS for the road transport sector", jointly organized by the ILO, the International Road Transport Union and the International Transport Workers' Federation.

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To mark the 10th Anniversary of MTV’s Staying Alive Campaign they’ve launched a great new website with lots of new features including a Twitter feed as well as a commenting system so that you can have your say on any of the issues discussed on the site. Lots more video content and photos too!    

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To mark World AIDS Day the International HIV/AIDS Alliance asked people to share their views on this question. People from all over the world responded including leaders like Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Dr Peter Piot UNAIDS Executive Director, Gordon Brown UK Prime Minister.

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• Send your World AIDS Day
• message to the Alliance

Ahead of World AIDS Day 2008, two sculptures by Keith Haring have come to UNAIDS to join the “Art for AIDS” collection. His iconic and poignant work has been instrumental in raising awareness around AIDS issues worldwide.

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27 October 2008

Together with its partners, the World AIDS Campaign has set this year’s theme for World AIDS Day as “Lead – Empower – Deliver”, building on last year’s theme of “Take the Lead”. Designating leadership as the World AIDS Day theme for 2007 – 2008 provides an opportunity to highlight both the political leadership needed to fulfill commitments that have been made in the response to AIDS – particularly the promise of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010 – and celebrating the leadership that has been witnessed at all levels of society.

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