Madame President, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for the opportunity to reflect on the HIV/AIDS debate
from a migration perspective. UN estimates place the number of
people living outside of their place of birth at almost 200
million, half of whom are female; but the number on the move,
including refugees and internally displaced people, as well as
seasonal workers and clandestine migrants is much greater.

While HIV/AIDS and millions on the move internally and across
borders are now both acknowledged as two of the great challenges of
our times, the nexus of both is often still underestimated. We
therefore welcome the Secretary General’s report on progress
over the past 12 months and its recognition that among others
"migrants are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection, and yet
these groups often receive few HIV programming interventions
dedicated to their specific needs. Insufficient funding or
programming is directed at addressing gender inequality, stigma and
discrimination and violence against women and girls, all of which
increase their vulnerability to HIV infection and to the impact of
AIDS."

Recognizing the vulnerabilities of people when they move within
and across borders due to conflict, natural disasters or for
economic reasons, for countries to make progress in achieving the
Millennium Development Goal Six of halving HIV, Tuberculosis,
Malaria and other diseases, and to keep the UNGASS Commitment on
HIV, no nations can reach the targets without universal access to
HIV prevention, treatment, care and support to both its own
citizens and people within its territory.

Madame President,

Today, with the support of several major global initiatives
including the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria,
the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, etc. a
significant gap still remains to be filled, which is access and
continuity of services for populations on the move through the
communities of origin, transit, destination and return. Resources,
both human, health systems and financial must be improved to
address the determinants of health, including mental health and
diseases prevention, providing access to health services, ensuring
protection of migrants by reducing all forms of discriminations and
social exclusion, collaborating with multiple sectors and
integrating HIV prevention and AIDS treatment and care in
humanitarian settings.

In particular, partnerships between governments and
organizations at community, national and regional levels must be
strengthened, to improve access to prevention, treatment and care
for all mobile populations, regardless of immigration or residence
status. Such programmes must be funded, and IOM joins civil society
in stressing the importance of the Global Fund in reaching
universal access by 2010 and in supporting the call for all
technically sound Round 6 proposals to be fully funded in 2006. IOM
also calls for increased attention to population mobility by
Country Coordinating Mechanisms.

Thank you, Madame President.