Ahern bound for UN Aids summit

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will join other world leaders at a United Nations summit in New York today to review progress in combating HIV/Aids.

Mr Ahern will meet UN Secretary General Kofi Annan tomorrow and present him with a report on the Government’s response to the challenge of the disease in developing countries in the last five years.

Mr Ahern is expected to reiterate the Government’s September 2005 commitment to increase government expenditure on HIV and other poverty-related diseases to €100m a year.

He has also been invited to address the UN General Assembly on Friday.

The UN High Level meeting, involving heads of state and government and representatives from the civil and private sectors, will review the progress achieved in realising targets set out in 2001 to deal with HIV/Aids.

The Taoiseach attended the first UN Special Session on the health crisis in New York in June 2001 where Ireland adopted a Declaration of Commitment to HIV/Aids.

The Irish delegation will also include the Minister of State for Development Cooperation, Conor Lenihan.

Mr Ahern will also use his time in New York to meet senior Irish-born executives of US companies and will attend other business-related events organised by Enterprise Ireland.