Bali – Members of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) have pledged to step up their role in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the region. The 45th ABU General Assembly in Bali passed the ‘Bali Declaration on HIV/AIDS’ in which members vowed to expand public knowledge and understanding about HIV/AIDS, put together related information across radio, television and new media platforms, ensure that their organisations understand HIV/AIDS as a developmental, national and corporate priority, and produce programmes that reduce stigma and discrimination. The General Assembly on 24-25 November and five days of associated meetings brought together about 500 delegates from 55 countries. The assembly was preceded by meetings of the ABU programme committee, technical committee and sports group, among others. A highlight of the General Assembly was the special topic discussion on ‘Tourism and terrorism – are the broadcast media reporting responsibly?’ which saw speakers from Nepal, Iran, Indonesia, Germany and Sri Lanka looking at the issue from a range of perspectives. The General Assembly also looked at the role of the broadcast media in promoting peace and democracy, and discussed the implications of the current economic downturn for broadcasting organisations. The assembly noted that a proposed WIPO treaty on the protection of broadcasters’ rights is still a possibility. Members agreed to lobby their respective governments on the need for such a treaty, and for a diplomatic conference to be held on the issue. Yoshinori Imai, executive vice-president, NHK-Japan was elected as the new ABU president. He replaces Dato’ Abdul Rahman bin Hamid, director-general, RTM-Malaysia, who has been acting president since January 2008. Two new members of the ABU administrative council were also elected. They are MNB-Mongolia and HUM TV-Pakistan. Mongolia’s national broadcaster, MNB, will host the 46th ABU General Assembly in Ulaanbaatar in 2009.