But AIDS is a global problem, as experience elsewhere has already demonstrated, and as the rapidly widening impact of the disease in South Asia and Eastern Europe will attest. That is why, in June, the General Assembly will hold a special session on the subject. The Secretary-General, for his part, has been trying to raise the profile of the issue in both the developing and developed worlds. The new United Nations can be seen here through the involvement of major non-State actors. Among these are the major pharmaceutical companies, whose products and research are crucial ingredients.
Foundations are also an important part of the picture.
The United Nations is also pooling its own resources and efforts as never before. As you know, there has been a plethora of initiatives on different aspects of the issue in recent months. The Secretary-General tomorrow will sketch out a comprehensive strategy covering all aspects of this issue, from prevention, through care and treatment, to support for orphans and other vulnerable groups. He will also address the key question of how all this might be funded. His hope is that speaking out on these matters now will help the special session in June have the greatest possible effect.