Geneva, Switzerland 24 June 2009

Executive Director, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen. It is a great honour for me to attend the 24th Meeting of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board. I am very pleased to address the board on the topic of HIV and mobility, and the importance of collaboration and partnership to improve universal access to a large and often under-reached population. It is particularly encouraging to see the topic of today’s important session is focused on universal access and people on the move.

AIDS Response

Madame President, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,

I deeply regret not being with you at this momentous event which brings more than 2,500 people together with a common goal—to end AIDS. Momentous because it takes place when we are at a cross-roads of the AIDS response.

Good morning. Selamat datang. Welcome to ICAAP 2009. I want to thank the organizing committee for this opportunity to review progress in our region since our meeting 2 years ago in Colombo and to identify challenges.

ESTATEMENT BY: Bertil Lindblad, Director, UNAIDS New York Office

If there is one lesson that this experience has taught me—it is the overriding need to strengthen health systems across our continent. It is my hope and aspiration, that the AIDS response will help lead the way.

AIDS as Health, Dignity and Security: A New Paradigm for the Future of the Global Response. Dear friends and colleagues, it is a privilege to deliver my first speech in Washington among friends and colleagues here at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

I thank Chairman Howard Berman and Congresswoman Barbara Lee for their leadership on this issue. I would also like to thank the “MSM Policy Working Group” of the Global AIDS Roundtable for organizing this Forum and inviting me to say a few words. I am honoured to share the platform with my good friend Ambassador Eric Goosby, who brings extensive experience working with the gay community’s early response to the epidemic and San Francisco and to all of you working on the front lines.