General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

22 December 1989

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

                                                        A/RES/44/233
                                                        85th plenary meeting
                                                        22 December 1989
 
 Prevention and control of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
 
      The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its resolution 43/15 of 27 October 1988, other relevant
 resolutions and the London Declaration on AIDS Prevention adopted by the World
 Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention on 28 January
 1988and taking note of Economic and Social Council resolution 1989/108 of
 27 July 1989, World Health Assembly resolutions WHA 42.20 of 17 May 1989 and
 WHA 42.33 and WHA 42.34 of 19 May 1989 and the discussions of the Fifth
 International Conference on AIDS, held at Montreal, Canada, from 4 to 9 June
 1989,
 
      Acknowledging the established leadership of the World Health Organization
 in directing and co-ordinating AIDS education, prevention, control and
 research,
 
      Noting with appreciation the efforts of other organizations of the United
 Nations system, as well as Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental
 organizations and the public and private sector, in combating the spread of
 AIDS,
 
      Welcoming, in particular, the World Health Organization Global Programme
 on AIDS, and noting that the World Health Organization/United Nations
 Development Programme Alliance to Combat AIDS is facilitating the
 implementation at the country level of the global strategy for the prevention
 and control of AIDS,
 
      Recalling the resolutions of the General Assembly, the World Health
 Assembly and the Economic and Social Council concerning the need to respect
 the human rights and dignity of all people, including those affected by the
 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), their families and those with whom they
 live,
 
      Reaffirming that the struggle against AIDS should be consistent with and
 divert neither attention nor resources from other national public health
 priorities and development goals and should not divert international efforts
 and resources needed for overall health priorities,
 
      Aware that AIDS can have serious social and economic consequences,
 particularly in countries with a high incidence of infection from HIV and
 limited public health services and other developmental resources,
 
      Recognizing that, depending upon individual and social circumstances,
 women and children may be at a higher risk of infection from HIV than
 previously recognized and may otherwise suffer deprivation as a consequence of
 the indirect impact of AIDS on their families and communities,
 
      Emphasizing the crucial importance of a supportive socio-economic
 environment in ensuring the effective implementation of national AIDS
 prevention programmes and the humane care of affected persons,
 
      Recognizing the need for all sectors of society to contribute actively to
 the local, national and international efforts for HIV/AIDS prevention and
 control,
 
      Noting that scientific research is making progress in the development of
 improved diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive technologies and
 pharmaceuticals, and stressing the importance of making these technologies and
 pharmaceuticals available as soon as possible and at an affordable cost,
 
      1.   Takes note of the report of the Director-General of the World Health
 Organization on the global strategy for the prevention and control of AIDS and
 the supplementary report on activities and programmes being carried out by
 United Nations entities on the socio-economic and humanitarian aspects of
 AIDS;
 
      2.   Notes with appreciation and welcomes the arrangements made by the
 Secretary-General, in close co-operation with the Director-General of the
 World Health Organization, to ensure a co-ordinated response by the United
 Nations system to the AIDS pandemic pursuant to General Assembly resolution
 43/15 and Economic and Social Council resolution 1989/108;
 
      3.   Requests the Secretary-General, in view of the potentially serious
 implications of the AIDS pandemic for socio-economic development in some
 developing countries, to intensify his efforts, in collaboration with the
 Director-General of the World Health Organization, all other relevant
 organizations of the United Nations system, and the World Health
 Organization/United Nations Development Programme Alliance to Combat
 AIDS, to mobilize the technical and other relevant resources of the
 United Nations system, at all levels, including at the regional and
 country levels, through co-ordinated research and programmes, to deal
 with this aspect of the problem;
 
      4.   Urges Member States to increase their efforts to combat AIDS and to
 encourage, support and facilitate national efforts to prevent the further
 spread of AIDS;
 
      5.   Calls upon Governments, the World Health Organization, all other
 relevant United Nations organizations and intergovernmental and
 non-governmental organizations, to promote greater awareness about the
 transmission of the pandemic in order to avoid misconceptions as much as
 possible, and to increase the understanding of the general public towards
 people affected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV);
 
      6.   Calls upon international, national and research institutions and
 organizations to co-ordinate their activities so as to provide input to and be
 supportive of the policy of national AIDS committees and the global AIDS
 strategy of the World Health Organization in a manner appropriate to local
 conditions and requirements;
 
      7.   Requests the Secretary-General to invite the Director-General of the
 World Health Organization, in close collaboration with the other organizations
 of the United Nations system and without prejudice to ongoing priorities and
 programmes, to continue to develop and advance the global strategy for the
 prevention and control of AIDS, and specifically:
 
      (a)  To promote the contribution of non-governmental organizations to the
 global strategy through support of national efforts;
 
      (b)  To collaborate, as appropriate, with the United Nations Office at
 Vienna, the United Nations Children's Fund and other United Nations bodies, as
 well as Governments and non-governmental organizations in their efforts to
 develop:
 
      (i)  Policies, programmes and research proposals to address the impact of
           AIDS, including issues affecting women, and to promote the vital
           role of women in preventing and controlling the pandemic;
 
     (ii)  Policies and programmes to alleviate the impact of AIDS, in all its
           aspects, on children;
 
    (iii)  Policies and programmes to combat the illicit traffic in and abuse
           of drugs, with a view to contributing to a reduction in the spread
           of HIV infection;
 
      (c)  To promote access of all peoples to appropriate preventive,
 diagnostic and therapeutic technologies and pharmaceuticals, and to help make
 these technologies and pharmaceuticals available at an affordable cost;
 
      (d)  To promote the active participation of public and private sector
 enterprises, including through financial contributions, in HIV/AIDS prevention
 and control efforts at the local, national and international levels;
 
      8.   Requests the Secretary-General to invite the Director-General of the
 World Health Organization to report to the General Assembly at its forty-fifth
 session, through the Economic and Social Council, on the implementation of the
 present resolution.