This statement is on behalf of the Secretariat and all cosponsors of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) – ILO, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNODC, WFP, WHO and the World Bank, as well as UN-Women. We appreciate the opportunity to address the linkages between HIV and gender equality as they relate to the themes under consideration during the 56th session of the Commission.

UNAIDS’ vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths is not about “absolute zero.” It is a journey that leads us to social justice and to greater distribution of opportunity for people who are not lucky.

Aujourd’hui je voudrais vous dire que la Francophonie ne constitue pas seulement un outil linguistique; la Francophonie constitue également un espace politique construit autour de valeurs communes avec un sens aigu de la solidarité.

There will be unforeseen obstacles, but it is very clear that we have started on the road to zero and have taken the first major strides in that direction.

Notre parcours vers l’Objectif zéro : Une nouvelle ère pour tirer profit des opportunités et partager la responsabilité

Mr President, as Chairperson of the African Union, you have made it a priority for Africa to lead and own its own AIDS response. Under your leadership, the African Union adopted its new roadmap for AIDS, TB and malaria this July.

Today, the dialogue on AIDS has shifted from applauding incremental scale-up to expressing a true belief that we will end this epidemic. But we have reached a moment of truth. We need to understand and integrate the magnitude of the changes that are happening into a new narrative for global health.

The PEPFAR Blueprint for an AIDS-free generation is not just another plan. It is a clear, practical way to move the world towards the goals adopted at the UN High Level Meeting on AIDS.