UNAIDS would like to call on all stakeholders to further strengthen efforts to eliminate all forms of HIV-related stigma and discrimination, and promote and protect human rights of all people living with, affected by or at risk of HIV. This is critical not only to ensure an effective response to the AIDS epidemic, but also to achieve sustainable development that is human-centered and promotes social integration and inclusion. UNAIDS will continue to work with all partners towards the achievement of these goals.

It was people living with HIV, those affected, who turned everything around in this epidemic. They made the response to HIV and AIDS a responsibility for us all. They challenged us to recognize them as people with a human right to live in health – not as victims or criminals. Over the years, they have inspired and driven progress in the AIDS response. They have been true human rights defenders - fighting for their lives and for the lives of millions of others.

Les maires francophones constituent le dernier rempart contre l’exclusion. Plus que n’importe quel autre espace, la francophonie est la mieux à même de porter cette voix. Ensemble nous pouvons mettre fin au combat contre le sida ; faire en sorte que les 18 millions vivant avec le VIH qui ne sont pas sous traitement aujourd’hui puissent y avoir accès ; et faire en sorte que l’objectif de zéro nouvelle infection à VIH, zéro discrimination et zéro décès lié au sida soit réalisé.

Let us stimulate a reenergized movement which, together with the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, can leverage the AIDS response, in this region, and globally, as an entry point for people-centred development, respect for human rights and social transformation.

Africa is changing! This change is visible in economics and in the increasing world interest for doing business in Africa. But the winds of change on our continent also blow on culture and society. The fact that we are all here today, calling for “zero human rights violations for LGBT people in Africa” is another illustration of this change. This change is not given. It is the fruit of the struggles and activism of many in this room and across the continent.

We need to be courageous enough confront society’s wrongs. It is unacceptable that women and girls, sex workers, drug users, migrants, prisoners and men who have sex with men are assaulted, violated and murdered, and yet our conscience is not revolted, nor our sense of human dignity challenged. How can the world accept that some people have access to services while others are excluded because of race, social status, income or sexual orientation? We must reject this double standard wherever we encounter it.

Ending AIDS will be a global achievement of historic dimensions. Not only will millions of lives be saved, but ending AIDS will drive better health, poverty and equity outcomes for the entire human family. Nobody has embodied this passion better than my friend and brother Ambassador Eric Goosby. Even if he is not with us today, I want to recognize his leadership of PEPFAR and the many contributions he made to the global AIDS response with distinction and heart. This is also the last PCB for Mabel Bianco from the NGO Delegation. Mabel, you have always been a great source of support and encouragement, and we will miss you. Finally, thanks to your support, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has extended me into a second term as Executive Director of UNAIDS. I look forward to continuing our collaboration, and I remain at your service.

When we talk about the social drivers and the structural dimensions of poverty, I always think about how it comes down to power— the power of relationships in society and the politics behind them. If we want to achieve the kind of transformation that will build more equitable societies, we must address the larger governance issues and the role of social empowerment. How do we harness the power of community movements to create demand for services, for access and for equity? We must not lose this perspective.

Sports is the great equalizer of humankind—uniting rich and poor, young and old, majority and marginalized on a level playing field. The capacity of sports to reach and inspire people in society who can be difficult to reach—rural and urban poor, migrants, out-of-school youth and other people at risk—is unique and profound.

Au-delà de la langue qui nous unit ce soir, je crois que ce que nous véhiculons ensemble ce sont des valeurs communes, des principes de lutte contre la discrimination, l’exclusion et la stigmatisation. Ce n’est pas un hasard si la déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme fut rédigée en français. Nous ne sommes pas là ce soir pour avoir peur du futur. Bien au contraire, nous sommes ensemble aujourd’hui pour définir et donner un sens à notre avenir, pour faire en sorte que quelque part un jour des personnes se réunissent pour se dire que le monde francophone a contribué à mettre fin à cette épidémie. Le combat contre cette maladie, la lutte contre le sida ne peut être réduit à un simple problème, mais doit s’entendre comme un processus transformatif d’ampleur mondiale.