Mr. President Distinguished Delegates Ladies & Gentleman

Nauru welcomes the convening of this Special Session of the General Assembly to forge an international, multi-sectoral campaign against the pandemic of HIV/AIDS. We are witnessing an unprecedented loss of human lives, lives that are only in their prime years. They are leaving behind orphans and draining the manpower of the worse affected countries. The international community must stand together in solidarity with those who are being overwhelmed by the disease, to let them know that we are there to help them carry their burden and fight their fight. This is what the United Nations is all about.

In this regard, my delegation fully supports the call for our political Leaders, in partnership with other community leaders and civil society, not only to talk about the scourge of the epidemic, but to also lead in the implementation of the targets and undertakings, at all levels. It is crucial and indeed necessary if we are to move beyond words and promises and win this campaign.

My country knows what it is like to have a population decimated by disease and armed conflict because twice in our history we were at the verge of extinction as a race - once during the influenza outbreak in the early 1900s when 40% of our population perished; and the second time was during the Japanese occupation of our island when over 25% perished. Therefore, our heart-felt sympathy goes out to the countries that are now facing similar despair brought by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Today, a disease that requires no passport or visa to enter our country and whose presence can only be detected when it is too late, is in our midst, again posing a threat to our existence as a race. This accounts for the reason why Nauru has Prevention as the mainstay of its national strategy, coordinated by the Ministry of Health and involving the Ministry of Education, the various religious denominations, and civil society. We believe that preventative measures are a crucial and cost-effective means of impeding the spread of HIV/AIDS to our shores. Our efforts are complimented by prevention based activities in the Pacific by regional Inter-Governmental Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations and international agencies such as UNAIDS and WHO.

The universal population at risk far exceeds that which is already living with HIV/AIDS; resources are limited and depleting due to the imbalance in the rate at which the epidemic and costs of healthcare are escalating compared to the rate at which resources are being maintained and replenished. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS and, as yet, there is no vaccine. These factors underscore the point that prevention must be the mainstay of the campaign against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
 

Mr President,

respect and protection of all human rights, in particular, the rights of women - including their reproductive and sexual rights, and the rights of children, especially girls, must be an integral part of any program against HIV/AIDS. In this regard, we support the call for Governments that have not done so, to ensure that their national laws, policies anal practises are inclusive and enhance equality and participation for all, particularly persons living with HIV/AIDS.

Nauru recognises that treatment, care and support is vital in reducing the negative impact of the epidemic on the social and economic development of the most affected countries, especially the least developed and the Highly Indebted Poor countries. Priority should be accorded to treating pregnant women with HIV/AIDS to prevent mother to child transmission, and to the care and support of infants and children living with HIV/AIDS. Special attention should also be given to children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS.

Mr President, Nauru agrees that special attention should be focused on sub-Saharan Africa where 75% of people living with HIV/AIDS are located, and where the number of infected is growing at over 3.0 million persons per year. However, the focus should not cast a shadow over the other regions of the world, as they too require attention, especially the South American and Caribbean countries, as well as the Asia-Pacific region where over 60% of the world's population live and where the potential for rapid expansion of the epidemic exists. In this respect, my delegation is pleased to see that a consensus has been reached for the other regions of the developing world to be given their due recognition - particularly in terms of resource allocation.

The Nauru delegation cannot conclude without paying tribute to Secretary General Kofi Annan for his leadership and perseverance in this campaign, especially his efforts to create a Global HIV/AIDS and Health Fund. His untinng efforts to ferret out commitments from developed countries, multinational corporations, and the wealthy is to be applauded. We also applaud those countries, the wealthy individuals and corporations who have already pledged to contribute to the Fund. In convection with this, I have instruction from my Government to submit to this Assembly a proposal that calls for each Member State of the UN to contribute to the Fund an amount in US dollars equal to $1.00 per head of its population. My Government is ready to pledge its share.

To you Mr. President, and the two distinguished co-Facilitators, Ambassador Wensley of Australia and Ambassador Ka of Senegal, as well as the Secretariat, you have all done your work with distinction for mankind and the future now rests with what our respective Leaders do with this unique opportunity.

My delegation has corne from afar with the commission to declare on behalf of my Government, its readiness to adopt the Declaration of Commitments and I want to retum home with this commission discharged.
 

Thank you and Kamwir Omo Ea Kamie Memak (Best Wishes to You All).