E/2010/27 E/CN.6/2010/11 “Concerned that the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV and AIDS is increased by their unequal legal, economic and social status, including poverty as well as other cultural and physiological factors, violence against women and girls and adolescents, child marriage, forced marriage, premature and early sexual relations, commercial sexual exploitation and female genital mutilation, “Also concerned that HIV infection rates are at least twice as high among young people, especially young and married women, who do not finish primary school as among those who do, “Further concerned that women and girls are more vulnerable to HIV and AIDS and have different and unequal access to the use of health resources for the prevention and treatment of and care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS, “Stressing that the HIV/AIDS pandemic, with its devastating scale and impact on women and girls, requires urgent action in addressing internationally agreed goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, in all fields and at all levels, “Also stressing that gender equality and the political, social and economic empowerment of women and girls are fundamental elements in the reduction of their vulnerability to HIV and AIDS and are essential to reversing the pandemic, “Expressing its concern that the HIV/AIDS pandemic reinforces gender inequalities, that women and girls are disproportionately affected by the epidemic, that they are more easily infected, especially at an earlier age than men and boys, that they bear the disproportionate burden of caring for and supporting people living with and affected by the disease and that they become more vulnerable to poverty as a result of the epidemic, “1. Reaffirms the need for Governments, supported by the relevant actors, including civil society and the private sector, to intensify national efforts and international cooperation in the implementation of the commitments contained in the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS, the Beijing Platform for Action and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development; “2. Also reaffirms the commitment to achieve universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention programmes, treatment, care and support by 2010, as set out in the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS, and stresses the urgency of significantly scaling up efforts towards meeting this goal; “3. Further reaffirms the commitment to scale up towards universal access to reproductive health by 2015, as set out in the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, integrating this goal into strategies to attain internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration aimed at reducing maternal mortality, improving maternal health, reducing child mortality, promoting gender equality, combating HIV/AIDS and eradicating poverty; “4. Stresses the need to significantly increase and coordinate political and financial commitment to address gender equality and equity in national 10-30576 65