Minister of International Development Anne Kristin Sydnes will be heading the Norwegian delegation to the special session of the UN General Assembly on HIV/AIDS in New York from 25 to 27 June. This is the first time political leaders from all over the world will be gathering to discuss how to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS.

In response to the global crisis and development catastrophe caused by the AIDS epidemic, the Government has decided to substantially increase Norwegian support for efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and promote international health. At a press conference on Friday 22 June, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg announced that the Government is proposing that this funding should be increased by NOK 1 billion over a five-year period. Ms. Sydnes will announce this increase at the special session.

This NOK 1 billion will be in addition to the substantial support the Government is already giving to measures to promote international health and combat AIDS. Norway is already contributing more than NOK 1.1 billion a year to these efforts, in cooperation with individual developing countries and international organizations.

The intention is to channel a substantial share of these new funds through the proposed global fund for AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. These new funds also include support for the efforts to combat tuberculosis. Part of the increase will also be used to build health care systems in developing countries, for example through the WHO. The Government will come back to the final distribution of these new funds when the discussions on the global fund have progressed further.

"The HIV/AIDS pandemic has become a social crisis of global dimensions. The special session must be used to signal the willingness of the entire world community to mobilize all available resources to combat the pandemic," said Ms. Sydnes. "We must base our effort on a broad development perspective. At the same time we must make it absolutely clear that discrimination and stigmatization of HIV-positive men and women is unacceptable. The fight against aids and the fight for human rights are closely linked," she pointed out.

The Minister of International Development will be accompanied by a delegation made up of people from an unusually broad range of areas. Among the members are Bishop Gunnar Stålsett, former head of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions Yngve Haagensen, head of Kirkelig Kulturverksted Erik Hillestad, and Anders Krystad of the Norwegian Football Federation. All of them are members of the Minister’s Aidsforum, which was set up in autumn 2000 to involve key Norwegian figures in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The delegation will also include two members of the Storting, John Alvheim (Progress Party) and Reidun Gravdal (Labour Party), Director General of Health Lars Hanssen, Anne Marie Helland of Norwegian Church Aid, and Adam Powell of Pluss – the National Organization against AIDS, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.

For further information, please contact Head of Information Jon Mørland, 907 70 206.