Conference Bulletin, no. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (8th: 1992: Amsterdam, Netherlands)]

respond, and how communities and
individual people with HIV can most
effectively be involved in every aspect of
the response to the pandemic. Particular
attention must be paid to those groups
who are heavily burdened by HIV/AIDS
and yet are often underserved and
underrepresented, including women in
developing countries, children who become orphans or who are used as sex
objects, and IV drug users around the
world.
By following this path, we will create a
roadmap of our progress in contending
with the epidemic, including our failures as well as our successes. By addressing these questions fully, we can
not only illuminate the current responses to HIV/AIDS, but also assess
where to apply efforts in the future.
Over the past several years, the responses to HIV/AIDS by individual
communities affected by the epidemic,
and by many community-based and
non-governmental agencies, have been
heroic and effective. However, AIDS is
a worldwide problem. To effectively
confront AIDS, these initial efforts must
be expanded upon, joined together, and
placed in a larger, global context. By
considering the impact and response issues in all tracks, by combining our
joint knowledge and experience, we can
make a significant beginning on a coordinated, international response to HIV/
AIDS that will lessen its impact. If we
do this, we will begin to position ourselves and our colleagues worldwide to
take full advantage of the remarkable
advances of science in the face of this
disease.
The Critical Role of
Developing Countries
Today, the global HIV/AIDS pandemic
is spreading most rapidly in developing
countries, the very nations that have the
fewest available resources for prevention and care. During the next few
years, even areas of the world now rela
tively unaffected will be highly vulnerable to a major HIV epidemic. It is

therefore critical that a coordinated, effective international response to
HIV/AIDS in the developing world be
mounted as quickly as possible.
The sharing of information, expertise,
and strategy that takes place at the International Conference is a crucial part
of this process. Participation in the
Conference is a central experience that
links individuals from varied communities and nations into a global HIV/AIDS
community. Delegates from developing
countries must therefore participate as
full partners in the international HIV/
AIDS dialogue, taking full advantage
of the unique opportunities the Conference provides both to learn and to teach.
To achieve this goal, representatives of
developing countries have for the first
time been included in all aspects of the
Conference planning process, and particular emphasis has been placed on the
inclusion of many developing country
issues in the formal program. In addition, special efforts are being made to
increase direct developing country Conference participation. In an unprecedented collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies and the United Nations system, Conference organizers are
working to locate and mobilize all
available resources to sponsor developing country delegates. These resources
include funding by national governments, international non-governmental
organizations, official development assistance agencies of industrialized countries, national and international church
bodies, and private sector institutions.
At this turning point in the HIV/AIDS
pandemic, it is more crucial than ever
that we all work together, designing a
truly global strategy for dealing with
this global public health threat. The
Harvard-Amsterdam Conference provides the location and the structure for
devising such a strategy. Full participation by experts in every field from those
countries most at risk in the coming
years will help make it a reality.

Message to Potential
Developing Country Attendees
As CAmference ()roanizers, we
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