The most urgent task now facing the international community in combating the menace of HIV/AIDS was to continue to take practical action, strengthen international cooperation and support the work of the United Nations in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, Wang Guangya told a meeting of the Security Council on HIV/AIDS and Peacekeeping, held at the UN headquarters in New York.

Wang also said that in a certain sense, the Security Council could also play a due role in facilitating the global struggle against the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Wang said China welcomes the measures taken by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations in raising the awareness of UN peacekeepers for guarding against HIV/AIDS, appointing special advisers and revising the code of conduct for peacekeepers.

These measures will be conducive to protecting peacekeepers from being harmed by the deadly disease, so as to ensure the smooth implementation of their missions, Wang said.

Wang expressed the hope that the Security Council would continue to strengthen its cooperation and coordination with other international institutions and help attain the Millennium goal in combating HIV/AIDS.

At the Millennium Summit held in 2000, world leaders committed themselves to halting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015.

(Xinhua News Agency November 18, 2003)