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28 June 2001 by Helge Kvam in New York The efforts of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic are specifically acknowledged in the UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, which was signed yesterday by 189 heads of state and government. The UN member nations adopted by consensus a global blueprint for action on HIV/AIDS under the theme "Global Crisis - Global Action." It took three days of tough negotiations to reach unanimity on the final text of the declaration, which has been branded a historic document. Representatives from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies were involved from the very first stages of the drafting of the final statement of this first ever special session on AIDS at the UN. The declaration was met with optimism by most participants, although some expressed concern that it did not specify vulnerable groups such as the gay community, sex workers and intravenous drug users. "It is an important achievement that we now have this global commitment to fight HIV/AIDS. One can always argue that the wording could have been stronger, but I would rather see this as a major springboard to scale up the fight against HIV/AIDS and the stigmatization of the people living with the virus world wide", said Alvaro Bermejo, head of the International Federation's health department. The declaration specifically acknowledges "the efforts of international humanitarian organisations combating the epidemic, including among others the volunteers of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the most affected areas all over the world." "I am very proud that the world leaders trust the work of our volunteers. It is a big encouragement and a big challenge which requires that the Red Cross/Red Crescent has to perform," said Encho Gospodinov, head of the International Federation delegation in New York. In her address to the General Assembly, Dr Astrid N. Heiberg, President of the International Federation, paid further tribute to Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers in the battle against HIV/AIDS. "They are a vital part of the solution. Not our programmes alone. Not our declarations. Volunteers are the ones who dare, who brake the silence, who risk exclusion. They are the ones who can turn back the tide of epidemic, who can break the outcast image," Dr Heiberg said. "My job - and ours - is to support and empower them." One of the Red Cross volunteers living with HIV/AIDS participating in the conference, David Mukasa from Uganda Red Cross, regards the UN declaration as a success stressing that it it not only brought together governments but also a variety of NGO's and UN-organizations. "Many organizations target special groups such as UNICEF for instance targeting children; HelpAge the elderly and so on. Here they have all come together, committing themselves to fight HIV/AIDS and the stigmatization of those living with the disease," said Mukasa. Mukasa a long time volunteer of the Uganda Red Cross, devotes his time speaking to youngsters about the danger and realities of HIV/AIDS. It is a subject he knows well, as he has been living with HIV for the past ten years. "On a personal level it has meant a lot to me to meet people from all over the world living with the virus as well. This conference has given me new ideas and new energy to go back home and encourage more people to come out and to participate in the work of the Red Cross. I feel like a recharged battery," said Mukasa. |
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In September 2000, David Mukasa read the Red Cross Red Crescent Call
to Action on HIV/AIDS at the 5th Pan African Conference which was
held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
