Liz Taylor-UN Fight AIDS

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Elizabeth Taylor was remembered for her pioneering role the fight against HIV/AIDS and particularly confronting the stigma - as a special public session was held at the United Nations General Assembly with the UN Secretary General, Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of Joint Program on HIV/AIDS to take stock of the progress and remaining challenges.

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly hall today (8 Apr) in New York hosted an interactive dialogue between civil society organizations and UN member-states on how better to respond to the HIV and AIDS pandemic.

Opening the meeting, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that this year has been a moment of truth in the global AIDS response. “We have made extraordinary gains. We are on the brink of real success. But funding has flatlined,” he added.

But, Ban warned that even with the advances obtained, HIV continues to be a major global issue.

“Five people are infected every minute of every day. One in seven of them are children. Millions of people still lack the drugs that save lives, and help keep the virus in check,” he said.

Noting that it was critical to end stigma and discrimination, Ban said that HIV has forced all to discuss very sensitive issues, including “injecting drug users, men who had sex with men, sex workers and those who patronize them.”

In a personal note, Ban shared with the audience that before becoming Secretary-General, he was not accustomed to talking about such sensitive issues. “But I quickly realized that the old slogan “silence equals death” is absolutely true. And I realized something else: stigma equals death,” he added.

Ban used the opportunity to remind the audience of the passing away of actress and “champion of action” on HIV and AIDS Elizabeth Taylor.

“Some 15 years ago, speaking at the UN, she talked about how difficult it had been to organize her first event on AIDS. She said, “I never faced rejection like that before in my life. Everybody slammed doors, hung up phones and didn't want to become involved.”

“If people were hanging up the phone on Elizabeth Taylor, I can only imagine the struggle that all of you went through in the early days to get us where we are now,” Ban recalled.

Also present at the informal meeting, Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said that the AIDS response itself had undergone “a transformation, tearing down silos and coming out of isolation.”

He said that it was becoming clear to everyone how interconnected AIDS was to other major issues in the world. “We are getting better at approaching issues holistically rather than vertically. From global health and development to rights and economics, being able to leverage the results of the AIDS response means we can increase the number of people receiving its benefits.”

At the meeting, representatives of civil society and the private sector also met with governments to discuss how to advance the response to HIV/AIDS ahead of a high-level meeting in June, United Nations officials lauded the vital role played by non-governmental actors in tackling the epidemic.

The participants included people living with HIV as well as those representing segments of the population most affected by the epidemic.

Transcripts / Production notes / Scripts

Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“This year is a moment of truth in the global AIDS response. We have made extraordinary gains. We are on the brink of real success. But funding has flatlined. HIV continues to spread. Five people are infected every minute of every day. One in seven of them are children. Millions of people still lack the drugs that save lives, and help keep the virus in check.”
6. Cutaway, delegates
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“HIV forces us to discuss very sensitive issues, including injecting drug users, men who have sex with men, sex workers and those who patronize them. Before I became Secretary-General, these were not issues I was accustomed to talking about. But I quickly realized that the old slogan “silence equals death” is absolutely true. And I realized something else: stigma equals death.”
8. Cutaway, delegates
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Some 15 years ago, speaking at the UN, she talked about how difficult it had been to organize her first event on AIDS. She said, “I never faced rejection like that before in my life. Everybody slammed doors, hung up phones and didn't want to become involved.” If people were hanging up the phone on Elizabeth Taylor, I can only imagine the struggle that all of you went through in the early days to get us where we are now. Elizabeth Taylor is no longer alive, but she left a great legacy. And she left us these words about the struggle against HIV and AIDS: “Keep pushing and fighting because it isn't over yet. There is hope,” she said. “But we need more than hope. We need you.”

FILE / UNTV / 2 DECEMBER 1996, UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, NEW YORK CITY

10. Various shots, Elizabeth Taylor addresses the General Assembly on World Aids Day in 1996

8 APRIL 2011, NEW YORK CITY

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Michel Sidibé, Executive Director, Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS:
“The AIDS response itself is undergoing a transformation, tearing down silos and coming out of isolation. It is becoming clear to everyone how interconnected AIDS is to other major issues in the world. We are getting better at approaching issues holistically rather than vertically. From global health and development to rights and economics, being able to leverage the results of the AIDS response means we can increase the number of people receiving its benefits.”
12. Wide shot, audience applauds

STORYLINE:

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly hall today (8 Apr) in New York hosted an interactive dialogue between civil society organizations and UN member-states on how better to respond to the HIV and AIDS pandemic.

Opening the meeting, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that this year has been a moment of truth in the global AIDS response. “We have made extraordinary gains. We are on the brink of real success. But funding has flatlined,” he added.

But, Ban warned that even with the advances obtained, HIV continues to be a major global issue.

“Five people are infected every minute of every day. One in seven of them are children. Millions of people still lack the drugs that save lives, and help keep the virus in check,” he said.

Noting that it was critical to end stigma and discrimination, Ban said that HIV has forced all to discuss very sensitive issues, including “injecting drug users, men who had sex with men, sex workers and those who patronize them.”

In a personal note, Ban shared with the audience that before becoming Secretary-General, he was not accustomed to talking about such sensitive issues. “But I quickly realized that the old slogan “silence equals death” is absolutely true. And I realized something else: stigma equals death,” he added.

Ban used the opportunity to remind the audience of the passing away of actress and “champion of action” on HIV and AIDS Elizabeth Taylor.

“Some 15 years ago, speaking at the UN, she talked about how difficult it had been to organize her first event on AIDS. She said, “I never faced rejection like that before in my life. Everybody slammed doors, hung up phones and didn't want to become involved.”

“If people were hanging up the phone on Elizabeth Taylor, I can only imagine the struggle that all of you went through in the early days to get us where we are now,” Ban recalled.

Also present at the informal meeting, Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said that the AIDS response itself had undergone “a transformation, tearing down silos and coming out of isolation.”

He said that it was becoming clear to everyone how interconnected AIDS was to other major issues in the world. “We are getting better at approaching issues holistically rather than vertically. From global health and development to rights and economics, being able to leverage the results of the AIDS response means we can increase the number of people receiving its benefits.”

At the meeting, representatives of civil society and the private sector also met with governments to discuss how to advance the response to HIV/AIDS ahead of a high-level meeting in June, United Nations officials lauded the vital role played by non-governmental actors in tackling the epidemic.

The participants included people living with HIV as well as those representing segments of the population most affected by the epidemic.

Directors:

• Muhamed Sacirbey UNTV

Producers:

• Susan Sacirbey