UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan (right) meets with Dr Peter Piot, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) during the World Economic Forum, held in Davos, Switzerland.

UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot met with the Prime Minister of Morocco Mr Driss Jettou during his visit to the country from 9-17 December. As part of the visit, Dr Piot also met with people living with HIV and AIDS support groups and took part in the televised fundraising drive 'SIDACTION Maroc 2005' which raised over US$2 million for AIDS.

Dr Piot also participated in the High-Level Session on the fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in the Middle East and North Africa Region. Organized by the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Morocco, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI this event took place in Marrakech, Morocco, 14 December 2005.

Photo credits:
UNAIDS/R. Bourgoing
UNAIDS/M. Chamali
UNAIDS/Y. Barka

Africa's leading forum for discussion of HIV developments and trends on the continent, ICASA opened on 4 December in Abuja. Speaking at the opening ceremony, UNAIDS Executive Director Dr. Peter Piot underlined the priority to ensure that funds are available to those who need it. "I increasingly wonder whether the countries most affected by AIDS don't merit a special effort akin to the Marshall Plan," Dr. Piot said.

All photos credit: UNAIDS/S. Aghaeze

On 1 December, UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot met with the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia H.E. Yusuf Kalla in Jakarta. Both took part in special World AIDS Day activities. In his World AIDS Day message, Dr Piot stressed that with increased investments in HIV prevention, treatment and care each and every country can reverse the spread of AIDS.

Prior to the observance, HE Yusuf Kalla met privately with Dr Peter Piot, UNAIDS Executive Director, Suma Chakrabarti, Permanent Secretary to DfID and Bruce Davis, General Director of AusAID, who came together to Indonesia in an official joint AIDS mission. At the end of the private meeting, the Vice President and the joint AIDS delegations also met with ten representatives of people living with HIV.

In commemoration of World AIDS Day, Dr Peter Piot attended a number of events with the government and civil society in Indonesia. While in Indonesia he had the opportunity to visit several resource centres and meet staff, volunteers and people living with HIV as well as participate in dialogue with Indonesian women's groups.

The UNAIDS/WHO annual AIDS epidemic update for 2005 was released on Monday 21 November. This year's report features a special section on HIV prevention. UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot launched the report in Delhi, India with the Indian government and other special guests. ''We have a historic opportunity to reverse this epidemic globally. It will not be easy, but for the very first time this goal is within grasp," he said. "We have to intensify our efforts more than ever before. We have come so far that we cannot accept failure."

Photo credit: UNAIDS/Ashok K.Vahie

The III Latin America and the Caribbean Forum on HIV/AIDS/STDs and the IV Central American Congress on STD/HIV/AIDS (CONCASIDA), held in San Salvador, culminated on 11 November with a Presidential Summit of Central American heads of state and other leaders. UNAIDS Executive Director attended the summit and also spoke on the closing day of the conference.

On 25 October 2005, UNICEF, UNAIDS and other partners launched the 2005-2010 global campaign on children and AIDS: "Unite for children. United against AIDS." The campaign was simultaneously launched in countries around the world.

Children directly affected by HIV and AIDS participated in the global launch held at the United Nations in New York, as did UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Roger Moore, First Lady of Rwanda Jeannette Kagame and others.

10 October 2005: UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot together with UNAIDS staff welcomed the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, at the UNAIDS Secretariat in Geneva. The Secretary-General met with senior staff and UN HIV-Positive Staff group and addressed UNAIDS secretariat staff.

The President of Portugal Jorge Sampaio presents UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot with medal and honourary title “Grande official da Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique” in Lisbon, 3 October.

In New York from 12-16 September, UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot participated in the 2005 World Summit, as well as in advance events.

On 16 September, Dr Piot spoke at the launch of the "Treat every child as your own" campaign by the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), where an agreement to strengthen collaboration on the campaign's implementation was signed by UNAIDS, UNICEF and the OAFLA.

On 15 September, at a briefing on women, AIDS and girls' education for First Spouses attending the 2005 World Summit, Dr Piot launched "Educate girls, fight AIDS", a new issues brief from the UNAIDS-led Global Coalition on Women and AIDS.

On 13 September, Dr Piot addressed leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He also spoke at an informal breakfast, hosted by UNDP, entitled "Responding to the Challenges of the Millennium Declaration and the AIDS Epidemic: UNAIDS and UN Reform".

On 12 September, Dr Piot spoke at an informal lunch organized by UNAIDS together with UNDP and the International Parliamentary Union (IPU). Entitled "National Policy and the AIDS Response – the Role of Parliamentarians", the event focused on exploring how parliamentarians can become more fully engaged in the response to AIDS.