E/2001/27 E/CN.6/2001/14 “Acknowledging that millions of women do not have access to means that have proved effective in preventing infection, lowering infection rates and improving the quality of life, such as male and female condoms, affordable anti-retroviral drugs, relevant preventive education, acceptable counselling and testing services, “Noting the International Partnership against AIDS in Africa and the efforts of the Joint United Nations Programme on Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (UNAIDS) and its co-sponsoring organizations, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization and the World Bank, to empower women through capacity development programmes, as well as programmes that provide women with access to development resources and strengthen their networks that offer care and support to women affected by HIV/AIDS, “1. Welcomes the decision to convene the Organization of African Unity Special Summit on HIV/AIDS in Abuja, Nigeria, in April 2001, and the special session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS in June 2001; “2. Reaffirms the commitment to the HIV/AIDS goals and objectives contained in the political declaration and further actions and initiatives to implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, as adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-third special session entitled ‘Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century’; “3. Also reaffirms the rights of women and the girl child infected and affected by HIV/AIDS/sexually transmitted infections to have access to health, education and social services and to be protected from all forms of discrimination, stigma, abuse and neglect; “4. Further reaffirms the human rights of girls and women to equal access to education, skills training and employment opportunities as a means to reduce their vulnerability to HIV and sexually transmitted infections; “5. Urges Governments to take all necessary measures to empower women and strengthen women’s economic independence and to protect and promote their human rights and fundamental freedoms in order to allow them to better protect themselves from HIV/sexually transmitted infections; “6. Stresses that every effort should be made by Governments, relevant agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, individually and collectively, to place combating HIV/AIDS as a priority in the development agenda and to implement effective prevention strategies and programmes, especially for the most vulnerable populations, including women, young girls and infants, also taking into account prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; “7. Calls upon the international community, relevant agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations to intensify their support of national efforts 37