2001 Special Session
The UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS) marked a milestone in the history of the AIDS pandemic.
The world has never before faced a pandemic such as AIDS. Following a call made for concrete action at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000 and recognizing that there was “no more time for half measures” (1), Secretary-General Kofi Annan began his personal campaign to form a global alliance equal to the challenge of AIDS. Secretary-General Annan began by speaking to African leaders in Nigeria and continued around the world, urging philanthropic foundations, health ministers, business groups, among others, to issue a Call to Action (2)for better prevention, adequate care and treatment, and accelerated research.
Above all, the Secretary-General appealed for leadership and invited Member States of the General Assembly to convene at the United Nations for a Special Session on HIV/AIDS in July 2001.
Heads of State and Representatives of Governments gathered in New York with a sense of urgency to address the global epidemic with leadership, honesty and action. While nations have previously made commitments to fight AIDS in their own countries, they had never before gathered together to recognize that AIDS is a global crisis requiring global action. This Special Session too marked the first time the General Assembly had met on behalf of a health issue.
In his opening remarks to the Special Session, Secretary-General Annan called for frank discussion and solidarity. Following his lead, twelve Heads of State, including one King, fourteen Heads of Government, five Vice-Presidents, one Deputy Prime Minister and over one hundred Ministers and high government officials made addresses to their international colleagues, expressing both concern about the impact of AIDS in their homelands and hope that by coming together, they could make a difference. The Assembly also knew that to address AIDS in a comprehensive way, they would need to involve in the process those working on the front lines of the epidemic. As such, over 2,000 representatives of activist groups, service organizations, people living with HIV/AIDS and the private sector attended the Special Session.
Upon concluding the three-day Special Session, the General Assembly adopted a Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. The irrevocable statement was designed as a blueprint to meet the Millennium Development Goal of halting and beginning to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 and contains clear, strong deadlines. Actions to be taken at both the national and international levels include the development of national strategies, confronting stigma, addressing gender and age-based dimensions of the epidemic, fully protecting all human rights, addressing equally prevention, care, access to treatment and support, and strengthening health, education and legal systems to diminish the devastating impact of the epidemic on communities. Importantly, the General Assembly also established a Global HIV/AIDS and Health Fund to finance an urgent and expanded response to the epidemic based on an integrated approach to prevention, care, support and treatment.
The Special Session closed with a moment of silent prayer and a palpable feeling that from this gathering had emerged reason for hope. Now, Member States and their local partners must uphold the promises made in the Declaration of Commitment.
Footnote
(1) Quote taken from Annan's remarks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in spring 2001
The Inner Workings of a General Assembly
The General Assembly consists of 189 countries, represented by a team of chosen delegates from each country. Delegates arrived at the United Nations in New York City with a duty to promote and defend their nation’s particular interests, taking into account previous treaties, conflicts, economic agreements, and the cultural, legal and religious norms of their homeland.