PHA-Exchange> ANNAN PUTS UN VOLUNTEERS 'ON STANDBY' IN FIGHT AGAINST AIDS IN AFRICA

[Aviva]

> ANNAN PUTS UN VOLUNTEERS 'ON STANDBY' IN FIGHT AGAINST AIDS IN AFRICA
>
> PARIS, 20 February 2003 -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan
today
> called on the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) to remain on
> "standby" to help replenish the corps of experienced civil servants in
> African countries hard hit by AIDS.
>
> "The disease [AIDS] is killing the most productive members of society,"
Mr.
> Annan told heads of state at the Africa-France Summit in Paris. "Schools
are
> losing their teachers; hospitals their doctors and nurses; private
> businesses their managers and engineers; government ministries the very
> people responsible for planning and implementing programmes to address
> society's key concerns."
>
> He added that it is necessary to rebuild the capacity of the state to
> provide essential public services.
>
> "Where once we spoke of capacity building, today we have to speak of
> capacity replenishment. I have asked the UN Volunteer Programme to be on
> standby to offer further help," he said.
>
> In addition, the Secretary-General announced that he would establish a
> high-level Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa to study links
> between AIDS and governance in various sectors, including agriculture,
youth
> and the military.
>
> UNV works with communities to help fight HIV/AIDS and provide care for
those
> affected by the disease. More than 160 UN Volunteers have served under 36
> projects and programmes at community, national and regional levels.
> Currently, more than 90 UN Volunteers -- many of whom are HIV-positive --
> work directly with HIV/AIDS, while some 170 combat the pandemic indirectly
> in disease prevention and health care activities.
>
> Following the successful work undertaken by UN Volunteers in Zambia and
> Malawi to enhance greater involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS,
> similar initiatives have been expanded to other countries, including
> Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kenya, Rwanda, Zimbabwe and six
> countries in the Caribbean: Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti,
> Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
>
>
> Based in Bonn, Germany, UNV is the volunteer arm of the UN system
supporting
> peace, relief and development initiatives in nearly 150 countries. Created
> by the UN General Assembly in 1970 and administered by the United Nations
> Development Programme (UNDP), UNV works through UNDP country offices to
> mobilize volunteers-two thirds of them from developing countries--and
> promote the ideals of volunteerism around the world.
>
>                                                 ###
>
> For more information about this news release, contact:
> Almaz Gebru, tel: (49 228) 815 2206; email: almaz.gebru at unvolunteers.org
> Richard Nyberg, tel: (49 228) 815 2223; email:
> richard.nyberg at unvolunteers.org