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        Session on HIV/AIDs at the Seventh ASEAN Summit

At the opening of the Fifth International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) in Kuala Lumpur in October, 1999, Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Seri Mahathir Mohammad called for a summit of leaders from the Asia-Pacific region to discuss the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The call was in recognition of the seriousness of the pandemic in the region including the economic devastation and negative impacts on human security that HIV/AIDS can bring. It also recognized the need for the strongest political will and commitment of government leaders to effectively curb the spread HIV/AIDS.

At their fifth meeting in Yogyakarta on April, 2000, ASEAN health ministers endorsed a paper on a proposed ASEAN summit on HIV/AIDS. Ministers agreed that the issue should be taken up by leaders at their next summit.

During the Fourth ASEAN Informal Summit in Singapore in November last year, the ASEAN leaders agreed to convene a special session on HIV/AIDS at the Seventh ASEAN Summit in Bandar Seri Begawan in 2001.

The ASEAN Task Force on AIDS and the ASEAN Inter-Country Consultation on HIV/AIDS have since prepared a Second ASEAN Work Programme on HIV/AIDS (2001-2004) and a draft Brunei summit declaration by the leaders.

The primary objective of the session on HIV/AIDS is to mobilise solidarity and “peer” political support to make HIV/AIDS a national priority and collaborate on inter-country/cross border issues and exchange of technical expertise.