In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

 Mr. Chairman,
 Mr. Secretary-General,
 Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies,
 Ladies and Gentlemen,

Extremely concerned about the plight endured by mankind due to the expansion of infectious diseases, our country takes part in this special session of the United Nations General Assembly on the HIV/AIDS virus. I am extremely honored to read this
address by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, President of the Republic of Tunisia, to this session:
 

Mr. Chairman, Mr. Secretary-General, Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

This special session of the United Nations General Assembly on HIV/AIDS is a significant event illustrating solidarity between nations of the world as well as their determination to coordinate efforts to fight against HIV/AIDS, the frightful epidemic of this age.

I should like to avail myself of this opportunity to commend the sustained efforts made by Mr. Kofi Annan, the U.N.
Secretary-General, towards convening this special session, which confirms the extent to which the planet as a whole is aware of the epidemic's devastating effects on human health and of the obstacles it raises in the face of development efforts by those countries that are most affected by this plight, notably Sub-Saharan African countries that, due to rare resources, are faced with numerous difficulties in eradicating the disease and in checking its expansion.
 

Mr. Chairman,

Tunisia supports the noble goals and orientations set forth in the draft declaration submitted to this session for approval, as they are in line with its permanent options for entrenching the principles of human rights in their various dimensions. Ever since the Change of November 1987, we in Tunisia have endeavored to buttress the underpinnings of economic and social progress.

One of our uppermost priorities has been the eradication of poverty, illiteracy, and disease. We have striven to translate this into fact and to expand the area of social welfare to the widest extent possible.

Tunisia has spared no effort in promoting public health and in eradicating epidemic and infectious diseases. Thus, it was able to fight against all such diseases and keep in check a number of other diseases.

To address HIV/AIDS, we have, ever since the first cases broke out, initiated a national program for fighting against the disease, and we have reinforced our efforts in the areas of information, awareness?raising, communication, epidemic monitoring, as well as medical, psychological, and social care for both patients and their families.

We have endeavored to combine efforts made by the state with those of partners concerned by the fight against HIV/AIDS, notably NGO's, and the various components of civil society, in a drive to develop the subject-matter and quality of the communicative discourse, taking into consideration the needs of target groups, especially the young.

Since 1987, Tunisia has also striven to ensure safe blood transfusion. Laboratory checks and health care for AIDS haticnts are free of charge, including the extremely expensive three?drug HIV/AIDS therapy.

This strategy has made it possible to keep the number of uses at a relatively low annual average.
 

Mr. Chairman,

Our pledge to fight AIDS at the national level has not kept us from playing an active role in addressing the plight in our region, in Africa, and worldwide.

Tunisia has availed itself of a number of international events to renew its commitment to cooperate with the international community in fighting against the disease and in keeping it in check.

For instance, it has, since 1990, organized the Conference of Health Ministers of the Maghreb Union and SouthMediterranean countries on protection from, and fighting hIIV/AIDS; it has also chaired in 1994 the 30th African Summit leading to the "Tunis Declaration on AIDS and the protection of children in Africa". In addition, it has taken part in several international meetings devoted to the disease.

We have reiterated our pledge to contribute to efforts aimed at halting the expansion of the plight when we took part in the U.N. General Assembly Millennium Summit and also when we took part in the African Summit on the AIDS virus, tuberculosis, and other related infectious diseases, held last April in Abuja.

Strong in our belief that no health or social program can be successful without granting priority to the fight against poverty worldwide, we have called for the setting up of a World Solidarity Fund, an initiative which you have supported
and adopted during the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly, based on our shared belief in mustering efforts to fight poverty; as poverty still constitutes a major obstacle hindering the eradication of incurable diseases and social plights and threatening the development capabilities of a number of nations worldwide.
 

Mr. Chairman,

Tunisia supports the "Declaration" submitted for approval by this special session of the U.N. General Assembly and welcomes the initiative for setting up a World Fund for fighting VIH/AIDS. We hope that the Fund's organizational structure will facilitate the effective access of our nations to its funding, enabling them to initiate programs aimed at addressing the disease and obtaining retroviral therapies at affordable costs.

I would like to conclude, wishing this session and all those present every success in achieving what is good for mankind as a whole.
 

Thank you for your attention.