Excellency Minister Li Xueju,

Excellency Governor Li Chengyu,

Excellency Dr. Hao Yang,

Distinguished international guests,

Officials from provinces, and young friends:

　　Thank you very much for this opportunity to speak on behalf of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). I would like to express my appreciation of the close cooperation between UNICEF and the Government of Henan, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Health.

　　I would also like to extend a warm welcome to our international guests who have traveled from Africa, Europe and Asia to share their insights:  Dr. Maria Mabetoa from South Africa; Mr. Hussein from Kenya; Dr. Viroj Tangcharoensathien from Thailand; Ms. Bilge Ogun Bissani from the Association Francois-Xavier Bagnoud; Ms. Wing-Sie Cheng from UNICEF Regional Office for East Asia and Pacific,  Mr. Arjan deWagt from UNICEF New York, and other colleagues. 

　　Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

　　First of all, I am very happy to be here in Henan— the cradle of Chinese culture.  And it is fitting that Henan is the site of our joint initiative – the first-ever seminar in China solely on Children Orphaned and Made Vulnerable by HIV/AIDS …. This is indeed auspicious and a sign of hope for children in China.   

　　Today, we have a tremendous opportunity to provide hope to the world’s children affected by AIDS—and there is a lot of work to do.  Every minute, around the world, one child dies of an AIDS-related illness; one child becomes infected with HIV and four young people between the ages of 15 and 24 become infected with the virus. 

　　Yet even with the numbers seeming to mount against children—the world, along with China’s leadership, has come together under the “Unite for Children and United Against AIDS Campaign.” 

　　Earlier I mentioned hope for children. This is because we – all of us – know the way forward. Let me underscore five points in this regard:

·First, we must work to Keep Parents Alive.  The best guarantee of a child’s healthy development is the survival of their parents. 

·Second, we must work to Keep Children in School.  Education is the best vaccine we have against HIV infection—and also contributes to a child’s healthy development.

·Third, we must work to Keep families out of poverty and reduce the economic impact of AIDS.  We know that families affected by AIDS are more at risk of being poor than those who are not. 

·And finally, guided by Henan’s leadership and the international experts here today—we must ensure each child’s right to fully contribute to society—that they are protected from exploitation and abuse, and that each child can become the best that he or she can be.

　　I understand that at this Seminar a policy brief will be drafted on the advancement of a legal framework for children orphaned and made vulnerable by AIDS in China.  We look forward to your rich inputs from your expertise, your experience and from the stories you have heard from children themselves. 

　　One topic I hope you will consider throughout your discussions is stigma and discrimination.

　　I have heard the voices of many children affected by AIDS and, like all of you, I am committed to support each child. One boy told me he couldn’t concentrate in class; couldn’t sleep because he was worried his mother would die—and how he was scared to tell even his closest friends for fear that he may be kicked out of school. 

　　Another young girl whose mother died of AIDS was made to cook and clean at home by her father who was addicted to drugs—but she could not even get support to go to school because one parent was still alive and community members would not help her because of both the stigma of AIDS and drug use.  

　　However, if we understand these issues—if we listen to children and make strong legal policies to help them, each child can realize his or her full potential. 

　　I believe that a young man from Yunnan whose mother is living with HIV and whose father died of AIDS after injecting drugs provides us with an inspiring story.  After meeting Yao Ming in Shanghai, he said, “People call me a miracle, because although I am poor, I got the best grades.  But I just want to say I’ve always had the potential to be the best. My previous failure was only because I saw no hope.  I had no chance to choose the beginning, but with a little support, I have the power to chart my own course in life.”

　　I wish all participants a successful meeting, and congratulate our young friends here today for having the courage to share their stories.  I am sure I join my Chinese and international colleagues in saying,

　　“You have my pledge to support you in achieving your dreams.”

　　Thank you.