Minister of International Development Anne Kristin Sydnes

The United Nations Security Council Open meeting on HIV/AIDS

New York, 19 January 2001

Mr. President,

AIDS is a global problem, but Africa has been hit the hardest.

One year ago, AIDS featured on the agenda of the Security Council for the first time. That represented a crucial recognition of the importance of the HIV/AIDS epidemic for peace and security - in particular in Africa. Refocusing on this issue today, we demonstrate our common commitment to address AIDS as a common security issue – a threat against humanity. As a Minister for International Development I am particularly pleased to address the Security Council on this important issue. In doing so, I commend Ambassador Holbrooke for his vision and leadership.

At the Development Forum in Addis Ababa in December, African political leaders recommended that the HIV/AIDS pandemic be met with the same vigor - and the same mobilization of human and financial resources - as is the case when there is a military threat to peace and stability. We echo this urgency and applaud this commitment.

In Africa, the AIDS pandemic is more devastating than war. AIDS kills ten times more people than conflict. In a growing number of countries, AIDS is truly a matter of national security. Through its erosion of human capital, AIDS has a serious destabilizing impact. Just imagine what the high percentage of orphaned children does to the long-term stability of a society!

AIDS destroys the social fabric. Social turmoil is fertile ground for conflict. Conflict breeds civil strife and war. Armed conflicts in turn accelerate the spread of AIDS. War and AIDS – together they threaten to undo decades of economic and social progress in many developing countries. We must break this vicious circle.

Mr. President,

I would like to thank Peter Piot and Jean-Marie Guehenno for their excellent reports on the action taken on this issue by the UN system over the past year, in particular with regard to follow-up of Security Council Resolution 1308. Norway welcomes the Cooperation Framework Agreement, signed this morning, between UNAIDS and DPKO (Department of Peacekeeping Operations) on HIV/AIDS prevention and care in peacekeeping operations. Developing the capacity of peacekeepers to become advocates and actors for the awareness and prevention of HIV transmission is an important task.

We need a comprehensive strategy on how to address responsible sexual behavior and HIV/AIDS in peacekeeping operations. Personnel should adhere to the Code of Conduct for Peacekeepers, but other strong preventive measures are also required.

Testing is no panacea. Still, testing can help reduce the risk of HIV transmission. We recommend that all UN peacekeeping personnel be offered Voluntary and Confidential Counseling and Testing (VCCT), both pre and post deployment. This is already established practice in Norway. The counseling must be detailed, frank and adapted to local circumstances and sensitivities.

Every peacekeeping operation should have a focal point for HIV/AIDS. Resident Coordinators must ensure that UN dispensary staff receives regular training on all aspects of HIV/AIDS prevention, overseen by designated staff members. Male and female condoms should be freely available on all UN premises.

The arrival of peacekeeping troops and staff may also increase the danger of sexual exploitation and sex trade. Young girls, with limited means of protecting themselves against sexual abuse and sexually transmitted diseases, are particularly vulnerable. Peacekeeping operations should contribute to the protection of the civilian population against conflict-driven human rights abuses, including sexual violence.

The point is general – and should be stressed: We must not only focus on the risks associated with peacekeeping operations, but also on the positive potential of the peacekeepers. Provided they receive appropriate training, peacekeeping personnel can become important agents for change in local communities.

Mr. President,

HIV infection rates among military personnel is often much higher than among the civilian population. This must also - and not least - be kept in mind in post-conflict situations, when soldiers return to their communities. If not, we risk seeing a further acceleration in the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The World Bank-supported demobilization programs underway in Ethiopia and Eritrea must give high priority to measures to reduce this risk. Soldiers now being demobilized must, in a sense, be re-mobilized for a different battle – the battle against HIV/AIDS.

Mr. President,

Through a number of initiatives taken to ensure UN system-wide follow-up of resolution 1308, UNAIDS has demonstrated vigor and leadership. UNAIDS has been tasked to draw up a comprehensive Plan of Action on how to address HIV/AIDS in conflict situations. Norway has decided to grant 10 million NOK - approximately 1,2 million dollars – in support of UNAIDS’ activities in this field, on top of our regular contribution to UNAIDS.

The grant is part of an overall doubling of the resources we have earmarked for multilateral HIV/AIDS activities within our budget for 2001 - from approximately 7,5 to 15 million USD (65 to 130 million NOK).

We fully realize that money is not enough. We also need strong leadership and commitment. We must find new and more effective ways to work together. We must empower women and girls to make them less vulnerable. We must involve men more actively to turn the tide of the epidemic. We must promote individual responsibility. We must build broad alliances. And the Security Council – as in other matters of collective security - should help guide the way.

The battle against AIDS is part of the battle against poverty. It is a battle for education, for information, for health systems development. It is a battle for prevention, for care, for access to affordable drugs, for vaccine development. The battle must be joined on every front if we are to succeed.

A few months back I met with OAU Secretary General Salim A. Salim in Addis Ababa. He described the fight against AIDS with three words: "This is war".

- I could not agree more.

Thank you, Mr. President.