On the final day of the United Nations conference on AIDS, a joint declaration authored by over 150 countries attending the conference was issued which creates a plan that could make universal access to HIV/AIDS care a reality. However, many activists attending the conference called the declaration too weak since it did not outline specific financial targets for participating governments. In addition, many people were outraged that the declaration did not specifically address major at risk populations including prostitutes, homosexuals, and recreational drug users in its blueprint.
Activists complained that the declaration's message is lost in vague language, and that what is needed is a frank document which cites specific issues. Secretary General Kofi Annan seemed to share this viewpoint:
"In this kind of fight you cannot be wishy-washy. People have to understand what you are saying - you cannot code it in a manner that people can interpret it as they want."
Annan clearly believed that a stronger, more clearly worded declaration could have a greater impact and might produce a better end result.
The declaration's prevention message centers primarily around abstinence. The use of condoms is stressed as well but in a secondary position to abstinence.
While Annan seemed to feel the declaration was in some ways better than he expected, he clearly felt that stronger, clearer language which identified at risk groups such as sex workers, gay men, and drug users, could have a more significant impact in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
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Source: BBC News - "UN agrees global Aids declaration"; June, 2006.
