[stop-imf] UN AIDS meeting proposals on 3d Wld Debt

[Robert Weissman]

Excerpts from the declaration on HIV/AIDS from the recent UN general
assembly special session on HIV/AIDS follow below. The debt language is
very weak and disappointing. Full text is at:

http://www.un.org/ga/aids/coverage/FinalDeclarationHIVAIDS.html


Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS
"Global Crisis ^=D7 Global Action"

30. Recognizing that external debt and debt-servicing problems have
substantially constrained the capacity of many developing countries, as
well as countries with economies in transition, to finance the fight
against HIV/AIDS;

=2E..

87. Without further delay implement the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor
Country (HIPC) Initiative and agree to cancel all bilateral official
debts of HIPC countries as soon as possible, especially those most
affected by HIV/AIDS, in return for their making demonstrable
commitments to poverty eradication and urge the use of debt service
savings to finance poverty eradication programmes, particularly for
HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support and other infections;

=2E..


88. Call for speedy and concerted action to address effectively the debt
problems of least developed countries, low-income developing countries,
and middle-income developing countries, particularly those affected by
HIV/AIDS, in a comprehensive, equitable, development-oriented and
durable way through various national and international measures designed
to make their debt sustainable in the long term and thereby to improve
their capacity to deal with the HIV/AIDS epidemic, including, as
appropriate, existing orderly mechanisms for debt reduction, such as
debt swaps for projects aimed at the prevention, care and treatment of
HIV/AIDS;