E/1999/27 E/CN.6/1999/10 resources and strengthen their networks which offer care and support to women affected by HIV/AIDS, 1. Reaffirms the rights of women and the girl child infected and affected by HIV/AIDS to have equal access to health, education and social services and to be protected from all forms of discrimination, stigma, abuse and neglect; 2. Also reaffirms the human rights of girls and women to have equal access to education, skills training and employment opportunities as a means to reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection; 3. Urges Governments to take all necessary measures to strengthen women’s economic independence, to protect and promote their human rights and fundamental freedoms in order to allow them to better protect themselves from HIV infection; 4. Emphasizes that the advancement and empowerment of women is critical to increasing the ability of women and young girls to protect themselves from HIV infection; 5. Stresses that every effort should be made by Governments, relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, individually and collectively, to place combating HIV/AIDS as a priority on the development agenda and to implement effective prevention strategies and programmes, especially for the most vulnerable populations, including women and young girls; 6. Calls upon the international community, relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to intensify their support of national efforts against HIV/AIDS, particularly in favour of women and young girls, in the worst-hit regions of Africa and where the epidemic is severely setting back national development gains; 7. Urges Governments to take steps to create an environment that promotes compassion and support for those infected with HIV, to provide the legal framework that will protect the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, to enable those who are vulnerable to have access to appropriate voluntary counselling services and to encourage efforts to reduce discrimination and stigmatization; 8. Also urges Governments, with the assistance of relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to create an environment and conditions that will take care of and support children orphaned by AIDS; 9. Further urges Governments, with the assistance of relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, to adopt a long-term, timely, coherent and integrated AIDS prevention policy, with public information and education programmes specifically tailored to the needs of women and girls within their sociocultural contexts and sensitivities and specific needs in their life cycle; 10. Encourages Governments and the civil society to support women’s groups and community organizations in changing harmful traditions and practices affecting the health of women and girls and to take steps to eliminate all forms of violence against women, including rape and sexual coercion, which aggravate the conditions fostering the spread of the epidemic; 11. Encourages accelerated research on vaccine development and intensified additional research on promotion of the female condom, microbicides and other options that offer women more control for the protection of their reproductive and sexual health; 27