Feature Story
2009 World AIDS Day statements
30 November 2009
30 November 2009 30 November 20091 December 2009 marks the 21st anniversary of World AIDS Day. The theme for this year is "Universal Access and Human Rights".
To mark the day, the United Nations Secretary General, the Executive Director of UNAIDS Secretariat and Heads of UNAIDS Cosponsors and partners speak out in special World AIDS Day statements.
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 "On World AIDS Day this year, our challenge is clear: we must continue doing what works, but we must also do more, on an urgent basis, to uphold our commitment to reach universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010." Read the UN Secretary General's message en | es | fr | ru | ar | ch |
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UNAIDS Executive Director |
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Press play to start |
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Message from the High Commissioner for World AIDS Day 2009 |
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UNODC Executive Director Read the full message |
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Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova “When looking at how all of us can maintain and strengthen our engagement in the AIDS response, I am fully committed that UNESCO will continue to address the social and structural factors that fuel the epidemic, including gender inequality and stigma and discrimination, and to empower young people to make healthy, informed decisions. We must build on our strengths, and move forward in concert with our partners.” Read the full statement Arabic | Chinese | French | Spanish | Russian |
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UNDP Administrator “The international community observes World AIDS Day each year on December 1st. On this day we focus this year on the need for effective HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment, and support.” Read the UNDP Administrator's message French | Spanish |
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Chief of nutrition and HIV/AIDS, World Food Programme "Gradually it has become clear that in the developing world, better nutrition plays an important role in HIV treatment programmes – by increasing the effectiveness of the treatment." Read full statement |
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Director of World Bank’s Global AIDS Program "The Bank stepped up boldly with the first billion dollars for HIV a decade ago when denial and inaction were widespread. Now, the tide of the epidemic finally seems to be turning. But we are still in very deep water. Especially with much of the world still grappling with the food and financial crises, the Bank is doing the right thing in reaffirming to countries, just as each Bank president has done since 2000, that we will continue to support effective efforts to prevent and cope with HIV for as long as it takes to succeed against this virus." Read the full message |
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Director-General of ILO Read the full statement French | Spanish |
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UNFPA Executive Director “Today on World AIDS Day we extend solidarity to all people who are living with HIV and AIDS so they can live free of stigma and discrimination. And we remember and pay tribute to those who have lost their lives to AIDS.” Read the UNFPA Executive Director's message |
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Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for AIDS in Africa “As women, we cannot work alone in fighting HIV. We need to support men and boys in developing positive and transformative masculinities which do not condone gender inequality and which support women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive rights. We need to partner with men in addressing factors that fuel the epidemic on our continent such as multiple concurrent relationships, sexual violence and inter-generational and survival sex." |
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UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador “Do you know that many people living with or affected by HIV don’t have access to health care, housing or even a job.
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UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador Do you know that HIV is treatable? |
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UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador "Listen… |
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| UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador Salman Ahmad Message on the occasion of World AIDS Day, 1 December 2009 "In my new song, "Love Can" from my forthcoming album and book Rock and Roll Jihad, I sing the line "when you see with the heart, all the masks come tumbling down, Love can you take me back?". I believe we have to rediscover and relearn how to see the world with compassion. When we see with the heart, we see a diverse and beautiful humanity including those of us, women, children and men who are living with HIV and AIDS. Love is the way back to rediscovering that compassion. Love Can take us back." |
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UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador HRH Princess Mathilde of Belgium Message on the occasion of World AIDS Day, 1 December 2009 “On World Aids Day let us renew our courage and commitment to get results |
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UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador “Access for all to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support is a critical part of human rights. Violations of human rights, including stigma and discrimination increase the risk of HIV and its impact. World Aids Day 2009 invites us all to engage, care and to keep the promise. |
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UN Plus: UN System HIV Positive Staff Group Message on the occasion of World AIDS Day, 1 December 2009 “Today communities around world will remember the millions who have died of AIDS and speak out in solidarity with those living with HIV. While many of us, thanks to access to treatment, are able to lead full and productive lives, the global response is still not meeting the needs of the vast majority of those living with HIV. Of the almost 10 million people living with HIV in need of treatment, only around 4 million have access, and availability of second and third line therapies is still a challenge.” |
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| Dr Marcos Espinal, Executive Secretary of the Stop TB Partnership Message on the occasion of World AIDS Day, 1 December 2009 “We must do more and do it now to stop people living with HIV from dying of tuberculosis. Countries need to find, prevent and treat tuberculosis in all people living with HIV and to test for HIV in all patients with TB in order to provide prevention, treatment and care. To do both they must developer collaborative programmes, nationwide, that address both diseases.” |
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| Statement by UNAIDS and the European Union World AIDS Day On the occasion of World AIDS Day, 1 December 2009 “The Presidency of the European Union (EU) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcome South Africa’s strong focus on HIV prevention and HIV testing. The EU and UNAIDS stress the need for the full respect of all human rights -- that no man, woman, boy or girl must be subject to stigma and discrimination due to his or her HIV status, sexual orientation, age, or gender.” Read full statement |
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Executive Director, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Dr Michel Kazatchkine Message on the occasion of World AIDS Day, 1 December 2009 “We have come a long way in the AIDS response with more than 4 million people now on treatment. But our gains need to be sustained. We must be concerned that in many parts of the world affected communities are still being denied their basic rights. We cannot rest when 80 countries still have homophobic laws and more than 70 countries still have travel restrictions for people living with HIV. Advancing human rights is absolutely central to the fight against AIDS and the fight for equality and for dignity must remain at the core of everything we do.” Read full statement |
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The Global Fund’s Ambassador for the protection of mothers and children against AIDS Carla Bruni-Sarkozy Message on the occasion of World AIDS Day, 1 December 2009 “No mother needs to die from AIDS and no child should be born with HIV anywhere in the world. We must ensure that these disparities end. These are goals that are achievable, that accelerate the pace of our efforts, and that will not only help us save lives from AIDS but, as we increasingly see, will benefit maternal and child health more widely.” Read full statement |
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Fight against AIDS: Francophone Parliamentary Assembly mobilized Message on the occasion of World AIDS Day, 1 December 2009 On the occasion of World AIDS Day, the parliamentary network against HIV/AIDS, which is part of the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly, calls on all francophone countries to redouble their efforts to reduce the spread of HIV, which continues to have a strong impact on these countries. Read full statement |
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| Executive Director, International HIV/AIDS Alliance Alvaro Bermejo Message on the occasion of World AIDS Day, 1 December 2009 “World AIDS Day is a good opportunity to remind us to continue to show dynamic, innovative and courageous leadership. The fantastic integration between healthcare services with NGOs and faith-based organisations running home and community care programmes that I see here in Cambodia and elsewhere around the world can inspire the vision we all need. Let’s make this World AIDS Day an opportunity to recommit ourselves to continue to fight the spread and impact of HIV, and to hold governments to account for any failure to protect their citizens’ human rights.” Read full statement |
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Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Message on the occasion of World AIDS Day, 1 December 2009 “Our Coalition is at the heart of a movement that’s increasing impact in the fight against AIDS. We’re making global health action smarter by joining the corporate sector, governments and civil society together.” Read full statement |
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The Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+) Message on the occasion of World AIDS Day, 1 December 2009 On World AIDS Day 2009, the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) is highlighting and calling for continuing support for the leadership of people living with HIV in the HIV response. For World AIDS Day 2009 GNP+ highlights four programmes that demonstrate how meaningful involvement of people living with HIV can provide significant contributions to the national and international HIV response. Read full statement |
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World YWCA Message on the occasion of World AIDS Day, 1 December 2008 “The latest research on women’s health indicates that lack of contraception and unsafe sex are the crucial risk factors for death and disability in women of reproductive age (15 – 49 years old). Unsafe sex can result in unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortions, reproductive complications and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. Read the statement French | Spanish |
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World AIDS Day messages from Faith Leaders
Pope Benedict XVI
"My thoughts and my prayers go with every person who has been touched by this illness, partiuculary the children, the poor and the rejected. The Church does not cease to make every effort to combat AIDS through its institutions and personnel dedicated to this task. I urge all people to offer their own contributions through prayer and concrete attention, so that those affected by the HIV virus will experience the presence of the Lord who gives comfort and hope. In conclusion, I hope that, by multiplying and coordinating these efforts, it will be possible to stop and overcome this illness."
Read full message
The Archbishop of Canterbury
Dr Rowan Williams
"We know that transmission from mother to child is now something that can be dealt with. We need to encourage all our governments to keep up their commitment to making this medical help available, and to giving that hope which we know is possible. And in all of that, the churches have a crucial role. How the Church really can be a lifesaver here. So we can pray that all our congregations will be themselves the agents of hope that they have the capacity to be."
President, Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar
Cardinal Polycarp Pengo
"Constantly present among millions of Africans who are badly affected by the pandemic, we see how AIDS continues to ravage our populations, even if it is slipping down the agenda of governments, civil society and international organizations. At a time when official concerns about the pandemic are receding, we re-affirm theologically that the Body of Christ has AIDS, and express our pastoral determination as Family of God to provide fitting responses. For our continent is still the worst afflicted."
President and CEO, Catholic Medical Mission Board
John F Galbraith
“I am constantly amazed at the dignity, bravery and living in conditions of the people we are helping. For any one of us to be exposed to even 10% of the challenges they face on a daily basis, would probably be pretty hard and we wouldn’t handle it too well.
If you were to meet any one of those people, you would never doubt why you should be a contributor to our organisation. They are living proof of the strength and depth of the human personality.”
