"We now understand that the risk of infection can be even greater in com...

"We now understand that the risk of infection can be even greater in communities emerging from violent conflict. United Nations peacekeeping operations — with their military, police and civilian elements — are well placed to engage with vulnerable communities that have been affected by conflict in order to ensure that the epidemic does not gain a foothold among them. We believe that we should see UN peacekeepers as positive agents of change in our efforts to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS in post-conflict societies. We encourage peacekeeping operations to incorporate HIV awareness in the execution of their mandates; such activity might involve awareness training for demobilised combatants, or HIV education programmes pursued in tandem with initiatives combating sexual and gender-based violence."