Abuja Summit to Endorse ADF 2000 Consensus On Fighting HIV/Aids

18 April 2001
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United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa)
press release

Addis Ababa — The African Development Forum (ADF) Consensus and Plan of Action agreed in Addis Ababa in December 2000 is to be endorsed by Africa's leaders next week, when they convene in Abuja, Nigeria for the African Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and other related infectious diseases (26 - 27 April).

More than 20 Heads of State are expected at the Summit, to be held at the Abuja International Conference Centre. The Summit, to be preceded by a Ministerial Technical meeting (24 - 25 April), is being organised by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in collaboration with the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), UNAIDS and other key partners.

The Summit, first proposed by President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, is being convened to focus Africa's leadership on reversing the alarming rate of infection of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and other related infectious diseases on the continent. Unlike ordinary summits of the OAU, this gathering will include participation from different stakeholder groups, including People Living with HIV/AIDS, TB and other diseases. Africa's development partners will also be represented at the Summit.

The Summit's objectives are to: translate the commitments made by African leaders into social and domestic and external resource mobilisation for prevention, care and treatment of the diseases and sustainable programming of primary health care; and develop strategies aimed at preventing and controlling the impact of the pandemic on socio-economic development in Africa.

Among dignitaries attending the Summit will be Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, who has been at the forefront of the global fight against HIV/AIDS, and who is placing a special emphasis on Africa. Mr. Annan is scheduled to deliver an opening statement at the Summit of Heads of State and Government on 25 April.

A number of UN senior UN officials are also expected in Abuja, among them UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot, WHO Director-General Gro- Harlem Bruntland, ECA Executive Secretary K.Y. Amoako, and UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy. These officials will participate in a panel on the 'Way Forward' (25 April).

ECA has been working closely with the OAU, UNAIDS and other members of the Technical and Steering committees to ensure that the Summit builds on previous efforts to develop a strong African response to HIV/AIDS.

In particular, ECA has sought to mainstream the outcomes of ADF 2000, which the Commission organized around the theme "AIDS: The Greatest Leadership Challenge", in conjunction with UNAIDS, UNDP, UNICEF, The World Bank and other partners to serve as a launching pad for a renewed commitment to more concerted action against HIV/AIDS in Africa.

At ADF 2000, More than 1,500 African leaders and policy makers, civil society organisations -- including people living with HIV/AIDS and academia -- private sector and development partner representatives addressed concrete roles and responsibilities for leaders at all levels, towards galvanizing an African-led response to the pandemic.

ADF 2000's Consensus and Plan of Action calls for a strong involvement by all stakeholders in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa, and articulates the commitments made by African governments, the international community, civil society and other stakeholders individuals to overcome the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Among other things, the Consensus stresses that:

- Every individual must personally break the silence around the norms and practices that fuel the HIV/AIDS pandemic. - People living with HIV/AIDS stand at the centre of any community efforts to overcome the pandemic. Their rights must be respected in full and their leadership potential recognised. - National leaders have a responsibility to create the conditions for community mobilisation. - A continental strategy for the essential and comprehensive care and treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS is needed, including a determined pan-African approach to the affordability of drugs. - The international community should mobilise the necessary resources to enable Africa to overcome the pandemic. Wherever possible, assistance should be in the form of grants, not loans.

For more information on the African Summit, visit www.oau- oua.org/afrsummit/index.htm

To read the ADF 2000 Consensus and Plan of Action, and for all related theme papers, speeches, presentations, and other documents, visit www.uneca.org/adf2000 or contact:

The Communication Team Economic Commission for Africa P.O. Box 3001 Addis Ababa Ethiopia Tel: +251-1-44 50 98 or +251-1-55 30 98 Fax: +251- 1-51 03 65 Cell: +251-9-20 17 94 E-mail: ecainfo@uneca.org Web: http://www.un.org/depts/eca

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