MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
I am pleased to announce Australia will provide over one million dollars to
establish the Asia Pacific Leadership Forum on HIV/AIDS and Development, as part
of Australia's commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS in the region.
HIV/AIDS represents one of the major development challenges facing the
Asia-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacific has the largest regional concentration of
HIV outside of sub-Saharan Africa. There are now some 7.5 million people living
with HIV/AIDS in our region, with more than 3,000 new infections in the Asia
Pacific every single day.
The Asia Pacific Leadership Forum for HIV/AIDS and Development (APLF) will
engender political leadership by enabling decision-makers and leaders in the
region to share their experiences in fighting this epidemic. The initiative for
the APLF stems from a meeting I convened in Melbourne in October 2001. 31
Ministers from the Region attended the Ministerial Meeting for HIV/AIDS and
Development, including eight from ASEAN. This was the first time Ministers from
our region gathered specifically to consider the impact of HIV/AIDS on our
region and priorities for action.
The APLF will complement work on HIV/AIDS that is already being undertaken in
the region by national governments, regional groupings and donors. I would like
to acknowledge the efforts of ASEAN, whose leaders have recognised the challenge
of HIV/AIDS and who have developed a strong program of regional action.
Australian assistance, through UNAIDS, will fund a key regional institution
to conduct shared learning sessions for leaders from government and civil
society around the region. Through discussion and exchange of experience,
participants will have the chance to grapple with the difficult issues that the
epidemic brings to us.
Australia will also provide support for an APLF coordinator in the UNAIDS
Regional Office in Bangkok. UNAIDS will be central to the management and
coordination of the APLF, and I am pleased to see our long-standing partnership
with this key UN body continuing.
The APLF is a regional partnership. Australia looks forward to working with
regional partners, other donors and UNAIDS to encourage the political commitment
and leadership required in the battle against HIV/AIDS.
Contacts:
Chris Kenny (Ministerial) 02 6277 7500 / 0419 206 890
Jo
Elsom (AusAID) 02 6206 4960 / 0412 80 4 489
For more information: http://www.ausaid.gov.au