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12 March 2001
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Commission on Status of Women
Forty-fifth Session
12 March 2001
9th Meeting* (AM)
The Commission on the Status of Women this morning concluded its general discussion on follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the special session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century" and began consideration of “Follow-up to Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions”.
Mari Simonen, Director, Technical Support Division, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said HIV/AIDS needed to be addressed openly and stressed the importance of open communication in overcoming the epidemic.
Yet information alone was not enough to change behaviour, she added. Advocacy was needed to help create a supportive environment for social change through policies, programmes and legislation. Information, education and communication was needed to encourage individuals to change their behaviour. Counselling and training were needed to bring about more effective interpersonal communications.
Aster Zaoude, Acting Leader and Senior Gender Adviser, Social Development Group, Bureau for Development Policy, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said there was a need to permanently alter the norms, values and traditions fuelling the HIV/AIDS epidemic, especially those perpetuating gender inequalities and discrimination against those living with the virus. In the most affected countries “we need to ensure that the full power and authority of the State is brought to bear on the crisis”, she urged.
“Gender concerns need to be on the national AIDS agenda, with specific actions and resources dedicated to address the increasing impact on women and girls”, she continued. The international community needed to do much more to help raise the estimated $3 billion per year needed for prevention and palliative treatments for up to half of those infected. The billions required for anti-viral treatment could only be achieved by external financing if national health priorities were not completely distorted.
At the same time, she stressed that the response to the epidemic only worked when governments allocated resources from their own budgets for prevention and care as had been demonstrated in Uganda and Thailand.
As the Commission took up “Follow-up to Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions”, Mexico’s representative said that at the national and international level, the five-year review period for major United Nations Conferences and Summits had made it difficult to carry out comprehensive reviews. She recommended spacing the reviews over 10 years.
Statements were also made by the representatives of Syria, Burundi and Guinea.
Representatives of the African Caucus, Empowering of Widows in Development, Youth United for the Advancement of Women, Association of InterBalkan Women’s Cooperation Societies and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
Rights of reply were made by the representatives of Israel, Syria and the observer for Palestine.
The Commission will meet again at 3 p.m. to hear draft proposals submitted by delegations.
__________
* The 8th Meeting was a closed meeting.
* *** *
Forty-fifth Session
12 March 2001
9th Meeting* (AM)
The Commission on the Status of Women this morning concluded its general discussion on follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the special session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century" and began consideration of “Follow-up to Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions”.
Mari Simonen, Director, Technical Support Division, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said HIV/AIDS needed to be addressed openly and stressed the importance of open communication in overcoming the epidemic.
Yet information alone was not enough to change behaviour, she added. Advocacy was needed to help create a supportive environment for social change through policies, programmes and legislation. Information, education and communication was needed to encourage individuals to change their behaviour. Counselling and training were needed to bring about more effective interpersonal communications.
Aster Zaoude, Acting Leader and Senior Gender Adviser, Social Development Group, Bureau for Development Policy, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said there was a need to permanently alter the norms, values and traditions fuelling the HIV/AIDS epidemic, especially those perpetuating gender inequalities and discrimination against those living with the virus. In the most affected countries “we need to ensure that the full power and authority of the State is brought to bear on the crisis”, she urged.
“Gender concerns need to be on the national AIDS agenda, with specific actions and resources dedicated to address the increasing impact on women and girls”, she continued. The international community needed to do much more to help raise the estimated $3 billion per year needed for prevention and palliative treatments for up to half of those infected. The billions required for anti-viral treatment could only be achieved by external financing if national health priorities were not completely distorted.
At the same time, she stressed that the response to the epidemic only worked when governments allocated resources from their own budgets for prevention and care as had been demonstrated in Uganda and Thailand.
As the Commission took up “Follow-up to Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions”, Mexico’s representative said that at the national and international level, the five-year review period for major United Nations Conferences and Summits had made it difficult to carry out comprehensive reviews. She recommended spacing the reviews over 10 years.
Statements were also made by the representatives of Syria, Burundi and Guinea.
Representatives of the African Caucus, Empowering of Widows in Development, Youth United for the Advancement of Women, Association of InterBalkan Women’s Cooperation Societies and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
Rights of reply were made by the representatives of Israel, Syria and the observer for Palestine.
The Commission will meet again at 3 p.m. to hear draft proposals submitted by delegations.
__________
* The 8th Meeting was a closed meeting.
* *** *