Washington File - February 29, 2000

Speaking at a session of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on AIDS, Holbrooke called on ECOSOC and the Security Council to begin work on a special resolution that would describe and respond to the impact of AIDS as a cause and consequence of security crises.

"The Security Council must recognize that deployed peacekeepers are at special risk to both contract and to spread HIV and should insist that peacekeepers are educated about AIDS," said Holbrooke.

He also said that:

-- the international effort, financial and otherwise, to fight AIDS is still much too low;

-- the U.S. will not vote for any peacekeeping resolutions that do not address the specific concerns of AIDS;

-- nations in the throes of the AIDS crisis must accept their own responsibilities; and

-- governments can only do so much, therefore the private sector must be energized to take action.

While the Clinton Administration has already announced that it would request an addition $100 million to fight the epidemic next year, it will be consulting with Congress to see how more financial support can be garnered, Holbrooke also said.

Following is the US/UN text of the Holbrooke remarks: (begin text)

Statement by Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke, United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, in the ECOSOC Session on AIDS,

February 28, 2000

It is truly an honor to join our Security Council President, Ambassador Listre of Argentina, all of the delegates of ECOSOC, Dr. Peter Piot, and other distinguished guests for today's critical discussion. I'd particularly like to acknowledge the presence of several members of the United States Congress, as well as Leon Fuerth, Vice President Gore's National Security Adviser, and Sandy Thurman, The Head of President Clinton's Office of National AIDS policy. These Members of Congress and Administration Officials are leaders in shaping the United States' approach to AIDS both at home and abroad. That they have chosen to come here from Washington to be with us today speaks volumes about the US Government's recognition of this issue's urgency, and symbolizes our shared commitment to fight it.

Last month, on January 10, the Security Council marked the new millennium by taking an historic step in making AIDS the subject of its first ever session dedicated to an health issue. This event symbolized something that many of us have believed for a long time -- that in the post-cold war world international security is about more than guns and bombs and the balance of power between sovereign states. Vice President Gore, whose presence and leadership were vital to our success, made this point eloquently when he chaired this historic Security Council session. The United Nations, he reminded us, was created to stop wars. And now, he said, "we must wage and win a great and peaceful war of our time -- the war against AIDS."

The Vice President challenged us to break the mold of traditional thinking and to recognize that AIDS has grown from being a devastating health issue to a genuine security crisis.

Now the challenge is for every part of the United Nations -- and all of our governments -- to recognize and combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic in all its dimensions. We must acknowledge this scourge's devastating impact on every aspect of the UN's business.

Clearly, for those UN agencies that have obvious and immediate connections to fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS is, and should continue to be, a focal point. But, while UNAIDS has been a model for coordination and cooperation, and the recent initiative of the Secretary General for the International Partnership Against HIV/AIDS in Africa is a hopeful development, it remains for the member states to carry this fight into every aspect of our work.

The time has come to back our words with deeds. In short order, we must work together to assure that the every organization in the UN system recognizes they have the ability, and therefore the responsibility to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic with sustained energy, creativity and commitment.

This is exactly what we tried to achieve with last month's Security Council session. For too long, the Security Council had dealt with AIDS the way too many of our countries do -- by ignoring it, or figuring that it's somebody else's problem.

Now, this fight must become a core part of all our mandates. Every UN organization must recognize that it has a responsibility to do what it can to fight AIDS. Every UN organization must look anew on how AIDS affects their work. And every UN organization must reassess their capabilities to address this crisis. This is as true for UNICEF and UNDP, as it is for UNCTAD, UNDPKO and the regional commissions.

As the UN's two leading elements, ECOSOC and the Security Council must assure that this fundamental reevaluation occurs. We must lead by example. Accordingly, today the United States calls on its Security Council partners to begin work toward a special Security Council resolution which describes and responds to the impact of AIDS as a cause and consequence of security crises. The Security Council must recognize that deployed peacekeepers are at special risk to both contract and to spread HIV, and should insist that peacekeepers are educated about AIDS. We should aim to have this resolution passed by July, when the global community will gather in Durban, South Africa for the 13th International AIDS Conference.

In the meantime, we will work to assure that the challenges of AIDS are addressed in every peacekeeping resolution. Let me state clearly: the United States will not vote for any peacekeeping resolutions that do not address the specific security concerns of AIDS, and its particular impact on UN peacekeeping. We have already insisted on strong preambular language in the last three peacekeeping resolutions -- on Congo, Georgia and Lebanon, and we will continue to do so. We also have a responsibility to challenge our own governments to address the issue more effectively in the areas that fall outside the confines of the UN system.

It is no secret that the level of international effort, financial or otherwise, dedicated to fighting AIDS is still much too low. In fact it is estimated that even to begin to reverse AIDS' spread will require more than ten times the current amount of international donor funds. Consider this fact: there are 34 million people currently infected with HIV, and in Africa alone there are 11,000 additional infections every day. If the world was to spend only $100 per person, per year in 2001, it would cost nearly $4 Billion. Today the total world expenditure for treatment is grossly lower than this.

The United States recognizes its responsibilities. In last month's Security Council session, Vice President Gore announced that President Clinton would request another $100 million to fight the epidemic, bringing our total to $325 million. Of course, much more is required, particularly from the world's wealthiest nations. In the coming months, we will be consulting directly with members of Congress, some of whom are proposing even higher levels, to discuss the depth of the global AIDS crisis and how we might be able to garner even more financial support. Another critical step is to assure that our governments do more to coordinate their actions. Our individual governments can and must do more and at the highest levels to institutionalize a process to look for synergies in our strategies, to see that every effort complements others, and to share lessons learned.

Those nations that are in the throes of the AIDS crisis, as well as those that are on the launch pad to a wider outbreak, must accept their own responsibilities. In too many cultures, HIV/AIDS is still seen as a taboo and is surrounded by cold silence. Last December in Namibia, our delegation met with six brave women infected with the disease. But, because of the stigmatization attached to it, they had to meet with us in secret. They told us quite candidly that if they admitted their illness they would lose their jobs, their families, and be ostracized by society. I know this type of stigmatization remains tragically true in too many places around the world. Unfortunately it remains true in the US as well, though we are proud of the progress we have made partly, due to the brave public stands by many national figures such as Magic Johnson. This stigmatization once prevented progress on prevention in places like Thailand and Uganda, but they overcame societal pressures to hide the disease to deal with it openly through openness and education. These examples show that with AIDS, sunlight is the best disinfectant. For until science finds a cure, the only true defense against AIDS is prevention. Pretending that AIDS does not exist, hiding it, or obscuring its true nature, will only make the crisis worse.

Finally, we must recognize that governments can only do so much. Therefore it is critical that we energize and empower the private sector to take action and build partnerships against AIDS. Last month Vice President Gore announced an initiative for an expanded public-private partnership to fight AIDS. This includes working with the private sector to develop a set of voluntary principles for corporate conduct to promote AIDS education and prevention. At the U.S. mission here in New York, my team has begun to open a dialogue with donor organizations and other private groups to improve cooperation.

To be sure, the challenge presented by AIDS far surpasses the abilities of any one of us. It will require our combined commitment, seamless cooperation, creativity and an intensification of resources. We can neither promise nor expect instant progress. But if we bring to this fight our shared sense of purpose to prevent AIDS from spreading, if we deploy our combined energies to support science's search for a cure, I am confident that, together, the united effort of our united nations will be able to get this dreaded killer under control.

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