23 April 2001

The President met with the Vice-Chairpersons of the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council, H.E. Mr. John de Saram, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka and H.E. Mr. Thorsteinn Ingolfsson, Permanent Representative of Iceland. They discussed the preparations for the next meeting of the Working Group, which will take place on May.

The upcoming General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS was one of the topics discussed during the meeting between the President and Ms. Louise Fréchette, Deputy Secretary-General. The President gave an update on the current stage of preparations for the Special Session, which are coordinated by his office. The Deputy Secretary-General briefed the President on the status of preparations of the "road map" for the implementation of the Millennium Declaration. She said that a United Nations system-wide mobilization has been initiated, but that the preparation of the road map will require further work. It is expected that some results on the system-wide response will be available during the coming summer. The President and the Deputy Secretary-General also exchanged some views on the "African Renaissance", a vision for new and more vigorous development in Africa by the Africans.

The President also met with Ms. Gillian Sorensen, Assistant Secretary-General of External Relations. They discussed issues related to the UN outreach to civil society.