Ladies and Gentlemen,

Metropolis is an organisation that can permanently change things forever. Metropolis can move the lines and can strongly and efficiently impact the way of living, the quality of life and the future of hundreds of millions of people. That is why I am delighted to be here with you, to speak about this issue: "Role of civil society in Mobilizing Action for healthy people in cities."

The subject is, of course, too broad. That is why I have chosen to focus, not on the global health, but only on one particular situation: HIV. Why this choice? For two reasons, the first is related to my personal journey, to my life; the second is related to the severity of the AIDS epidemic and the role that cities can take in response to this epidemic.

Let me introduce myself in a few words, I think that it will help you to understand my purposes: I am a HIV positive person. Since 28 years,I am living with a sword of Damocles permanently on my head. I am a person living with HIV who has publicly revealed his disease and believes that, as a local elected person, I had to undergo many obstacles, even though I have always benefited from the valuable support of Jean-Paul Huchon , President of Metropolis and President of the Ile-de-France Region.

I decided to make my individual combat a collective campaign by creating in 1995 the association "Elected Leadership Against AIDS," which aims to mobilize local elected officials, including elected officials from cities in this fight for life, in this struggle for equality, in this fight for dignity. Today, more than 16,000 people elected by the French joined the fight that I carry with Elected Leadership Against AIDS for nearly 20 years. 20 years alongside elected representatives, advising, directing them, providing them with solutions, projects, so as to establish a comprehensive policy to fight against AIDS, This is an ambitious goal, ambitious at all levels national as local. Member of the National AIDS Council, I am also president of the Regional Information and prevention Center of AIDS in the Ile-de-France Region. This combination, coupled with the Ile-de-France organization, aims to support professionals working on AIDS, discrimination, addictions but mainly to inform young people about AIDS: there are more than 150,000 young associated each year with our actions in the Ile-de-France Region. This system, unique in France, is the result of the will of President Jean-Paul Huchon, and could also usefully be extended throughout the French territory.

Second reason that drives me to speak only of HIV: 39. 39, this number is the number of millions of deaths due to AIDS since the epidemic began. An incredible figure. Imagine, this would wipe out the entire population of Bombay, New Delhi and Hyderabad! AIDS causes 2.1 million new infections worldwide and 1.5 million deaths each year. While more than half the world's population lives in an urban area, AIDS has also hit cities. I give you some numbers so we can all realize the urgency to act. 60% of the 35 million HIV-positive people live in cities. Nearly half of the people living with HIV worldwide are in 220 cities including, obviously, the cities represented at Metropolis. Imagine that in sub-Saharan Africa, 15 million people with HIV live in just 20 cities! In Asia, a quarter of people with HIV are found in 30 cities. I think these few data can only convince us of the urgency to act for cities in the response to HIV.

I was a little long on this presentation but I really wanted you to understand why I was speaking only on AIDS in this presentation on "Role of civil society in Mobilizing Action for healthy people in cities".

About this role of civil society, I'll be honest with you : I think the role of civil society can not be understood without the role of elected officials, all have an impact on the overall political sense. Civil society must help those who elected makes the good choices, find a policy designed to end AIDS and give support to people living with HIV.

To do this, actually, you have to calibrate the policy of UNAIDS, and its rule « 90 -90 – 90 », a rule that Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, declaimed with great emphasis to the AIDS Conference in Melbourne in July. Specifically, this rule has three objectives:

- Increase to 90% the proportion of people living with HIV who know their diagnosis,

- Increase to 90% the proportion of people living with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy

- Increase to 90% the proportion of people on HIV treatment with undetectable viral load.

The goal of this new strategy: the end of AIDS in 2030. It is ambitious but feasible target, on one condition: a massive commitment of the States, a commitment to meet the challenges and attainable goal. This commitment must be done in terms of prevention - and therefore information - and therapeutic management. This requires money : 22 billion, exactly. That seems a lot, but on closer look, this is nothing compared to what has been spent at the height of the recent global economic crisis, to support banks and carmakers. And it's so small compared to the arms industry. I have a dream ... Whatever expenses for death become expenses for life. 22 billion to eradicate a disease from the face of the globe. Is it so often that such a perspective on public health is reachable? Yet that delays due to a lack of action of the countries ...

In the 90-90-90 strategy, cities and civil society undeniably have a special responsibility because of their ability to act and their proximity to the people. As I usually say, lack of action kills. So what can political and civil society do?

First, we agree to this : these two worlds must come together, understand each other, not necessarily appreciate or to jump into each other arms but work together. Civil society is often not very kind to the politicians , but that's good. This is the debate that builds the future, it's the same basic concept of democracy. No debate, no progress!

Work together but to what goal ? Toward the same goal! Given the diversity of cities, contexts, epidemiologists, of course there is no magic solution, but a few major areas can be highlighted in the fight against HIV:

A policy that provides sufficient means to help those involved in the fight and allows real deployment of devices for prevention and HIV testing as a cornerstone of an effective response to HIV / AIDS. A very concrete way, it may decided the distribution of male and female condoms in all public places in the city and the organization of quick screening. Overall, the establishment of a red ribbon on the City Hall on December 1, would also have an impact very symbolic and very strong.

- A policy that allows respect and promote the rights of vulnerable people: girls, prisoners, LGBT people are drug users; Specifically, cities can implement local campaigns to fight against stigma and organize information sessions, lectures on the topic. Similarly, they can also train their staff, including the welcoming to the theme of HIV staff.

- A policy that supports people living with HIV, whether in access to rights and housing. Thus, cities may for example prioritize access to social housing for people with HIV, it would be very important. Many people with HIV are hit hard by job insecurity and I ask you: how to manage and disease and insecurity at the same time?

- A policy that mobilizes not only ambitious but sufficient means in the response to HIV / AIDS. Cities should work with civil society, to stand with them, not only as a financial or logistical support through the provision of local but also and especially as support on projects! Yes, AIDS is treatable and also fights in politics!

I ‘m not gonna go in to details., I could spend hours there but if we network as we are doing, we can only feed other projects so as to strengthen our action.

I'll tell you, Metropolis must have a special role on this issue. Metropolis has to commit to human rights. As I speak, Metropolis is holding its general assembly. A general assembly which will be voted after already have been voted in the board in 2013 in Johannesburg, on a topic that is dear to me and for which I have been fighting for a long time: the freedom of movement and settlement of people affected by HIV. You know, in more than 40 countries around the world, there are restrictions on the rights of HIV-positive people: in 40 countries, when you have HIV, you do not have the right to enter the country or not the right to settle simply for one reason: your disease.

Beyond being a gross violation of human rights, especially in terms of the Covenants of 1966, it is a total nonsense in public health to suggest that the people living with HIV are viral bombs, by suggesting that the solution to HIV will be to close borders, suggesting that AIDS is a disease from abroad, these 40 countries have implemented a discriminatory policy that undermines all efforts on prevention, public information and promotion of screening. In fact, these countries promote one thing: serophobia, rejection of the sick person. In short, the opposite of a fight against the AIDS effectively. I'll tell you my deep feeling: these restrictions are the symbol of a sick society that is afraid. In all aspect, fear is the worst counselors.

This statement, if properly recorded by the World Congress, can be an leverage to bend the states. Under international pressure including civil society and the Elected Leadership Against AIDS, the United States changed their laws, China has done the same. Two world superpowers. Others will follow, I'm sure. United, we will get there!

Let me finish, not on an affirmative conclusion, but a conclusion in the form of a question: why today, 30 years after the beginning of the epidemic, why do we still fear people with HIV while normal reaction would be a minimum of support? Why do they still building obstacles against the establishment of an effective prevention policy? Why do we still let die 1.5 million people a year when we could save them? So why?

Thank you.