One of the biggest risks in our

It is my pleasure to welcome you to

We are here today because of the

The need for this special Consultation illuminates anew the bleak wasteland that is prejudice. It illuminates more clearly than ever that a caring, compassionate society is sustained by justice … the coming together of all of you from many nations across Asia and The Pacific is a bright light on the path to justice and equity.

Closing address by Dr Peter Piot, UNAIDS Executive Director, New Delhi, 26 September 2006

8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific Opening Ceremony 19 August 2007

Distinguished guests, colleagues and friends, good morning. I thank the local organizing committee of the 8th ICAAP for this opportunity to stand before you once again and to look at how we are progressing after the Kobe ICAAP.Meeting two years after the Kobe Conference presents a good opportunity to take stock of the situation and to look ahead at the enormous challenges we are facing in the region in combating the AIDS epidemic.

I thank Chairman Howard Berman and Congresswoman Barbara Lee for their leadership on this issue. I would also like to thank the “MSM Policy Working Group” of the Global AIDS Roundtable for organizing this Forum and inviting me to say a few words. I am honoured to share the platform with my good friend Ambassador Eric Goosby, who brings extensive experience working with the gay community’s early response to the epidemic and San Francisco and to all of you working on the front lines.

Africa is changing! This change is visible in economics and in the increasing world interest for doing business in Africa. But the winds of change on our continent also blow on culture and society. The fact that we are all here today, calling for “zero human rights violations for LGBT people in Africa” is another illustration of this change. This change is not given. It is the fruit of the struggles and activism of many in this room and across the continent.

UNAIDS Executive Director Mr Michel Sidibé addressed the audience of the 23rd edition of the TEDDY Award in Berlin on 13 February with a strong message: universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support must be accessible to all people who are in need—including men who have sex with men and other populations most-at-risk of HIV infection.