Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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United Press International - Monday, 4 June 2001
William M. Reilly
Tuesday is the 20th anniversary of the release of that report, on June 5, 1981, the earliest clinical evidence of the disease.
"At no time in the past 20 years in dealing with this growing catastrophe has there been such a sense of collective resolve and collective possibility," Annan said. "I believe this year will go down in history as the year we turned the tide."
The secretary-general pledged his personal commitment to the fight against AIDS and called for "every sector of society to play its full part" in the battle, in order to galvanize global awareness and "build a response that matches the challenge."
Annan said the upcoming General Assembly special session on HIV/AIDS "will be a test for all of us who call ourselves the international community."
He expressed confidence that by the time the session opens later this month, there would be "widespread" support for his proposed $7 billion to $10 billion annual Global AIDS and Health Fund, which is open to contributions from both governments and private donors.
Saturday the secretary-general hailed the annual AIDS Memorial Quilt March in Washington as a "fine example of the kind of response we need across the world in facing HIV/AIDS."
In a message to the event, Annan underscored the devastating toll taken by the pandemic.
"It is as though the population of five cities the size of Washington, had been wiped out in the space of a single year," he said, hoping the AIDS Quilt march reaches delegates attending the special session.
"It is essential that they hear people speak up about the virus and demand decisive action against it," he said.
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