E/2003/27 E/CN.6/2003/12 Against: United States of America. 36. Statements in explanation of vote before the vote were made by the representatives of Brazil and the Russian Federation. A statement in explanation of vote after the vote was made by the representative of the United States. 37. Before the adoption of the draft resolution, a statement was made by the observers for Israel; after the adoption of the draft resolution, a statement was made by the observer for Morocco. 38. After the adoption of the draft resolution, a statement was also made by the observer for Palestine. Women, the girl child and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) 39. At the 10th meeting, on 10 March, the observer for Angola,2 on behalf of the Southern African Development Community, introduced a draft resolution entitled “Women, the girl child and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)” (E/CN.6/2003/L.2), which read as follows: “The Commission on the Status of Women, “Reaffirming General Assembly resolution S-26/2 of 27 June 2001, entitled ‘Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS’, adopted at its twentysixth special session, held in New York from 25 to 27 June 2001, “Welcoming General Assembly resolution 57/299 of 20 December 2002, entitled ‘Follow-up to the outcome of the twenty-sixth special session: implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS’, “Recalling the United Nations Millennium Declaration and the development goals contained therein, in particular the aim of Member States to have halted, by 2015, and begun to reverse, the spread of HIV/AIDS, “Reaffirming the agreed conclusions adopted at its forty-fifth session, entitled ‘Women, the girl child and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)’, “Recalling its resolution 46/2 of 15 March 2002, entitled ‘Women, the girl child and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)’, “Recognizing that HIV/AIDS is a humanitarian crisis that disproportionately affects women and adolescent girls, who are socially, culturally, biologically and economically more vulnerable, “1. Stresses that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are fundamental elements in the reduction of their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, and emphasizes that the advancement of women and girls is key to reversing the pandemic; __________________ 2 In accordance with rule 69 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council. 27