HRH Princess Lalla Salma arrives at UN headquarters in New York

   HRH Princess Lalla Salma represents Morocco in this High Level Meeting, which is bringing together more than thirty head of states as well as the First Ladies.

    The Princess is accompanied by Health Minister, Yasmina Badou, Morocco's permanent representative to the UN, Mohamed Loulichki, president of the Moroccan Association for the fight against AIDS, Hakima Himmich, and president of the Pan-African Organization for the fight against AIDS (OPALS).

    Afterwards, Lalla Salma took part in the opening of the plenary session of the High Level Meeting, which is held on June 8-10.

      Thirty years into the AIDS epidemic, and 10 years since the landmark UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, the world will come together to review progress and chart the future course of the global AIDS response.

    Parallel to the three-day summit, a first ladies' meeting will be held on the theme: "Eliminating new HIV infections in infants by 2015".

    Member States are expected to adopt a new Declaration that will reaffirm current commitments and commit to actions to guide and sustain the global AIDS response.

    New UNAIDS data clearly show that steady progress is being made towards zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths through universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, a UN document underlined.

    The gains are real, but fragile and have not reached everyone in need. There are still 10 million people waiting for HIV treatment. And for every one person starting treatment, two people become infected. Stigma and discrimination continue to be obstacles, it added.

    Accelerating progress will require global solidarity and partnership — especially now, in these times of fiscal austerity.

    The UNSC adopted on Tuesday a resolution to call for maintaining an international action against the pandemic disease.   

    The 2011 High-Level Meeting on AIDS is a unique global opportunity for partners to meet and move the AIDS agenda forward












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