Red Aids ribbon lights up UN HQ
2001-06-21 12:35
Special Report
The South African government has announced a joint venture to reduce the cost of anti-retroviral drugs with a Swiss company.
New York - As a dramatic visual curtain-raiser to the three-day General
Assembly special session on HIV/Aids, the UN secretariat building
will light up this weekend in the form of a huge red Aids ribbon.
"If a picture is worth a thousand words, this symbolic gesture will
send a strong message of United Nations commitment to the battle
against HIV/Aids, and will focus international attention on the
special session," the organisation said in a statement on Wednesday.
The image of the ribbon will be formed by covering 550 windows with
red plastic film, then leaving the office lights on.
The ribbon will be visible both on the west side of the 38-floor
building, which faces central Manhattan, and the side looking out
over New York's East River.
The image will be reproduced on a special stamp which the UN postal
service intends to issue early next year, as well as on promotional
materials.
Last year, "UN 2000" was spelt out in lights on the building to
usher in the new millennium.
After the millennium summit in September, when thousands of city
police and other officials were mobilised for the biggest gathering
of heads of state in history, the lights were used to say "Thank
You, New York." - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA