As many micro-credit schemes across the world can testify, investment in women is the best investment for the future.

Between now and 2015, we must make sure that promises made become promises kept. The consequences of doing otherwise are profound: death, illness and despair, needless suffering, lost opportunities for millions upon millions of people.

The longer we delay, the more we will pay.

Extreme weather events continue to grow more frequent and intense in rich and poor countries alike, not only devastating lives, but also infrastructure, institutions, and budgets - an unholy brew which can create dangerous security vacuums.

People everywhere look to the United States to use its remarkable power to help lift humanity up and to work for the common good.

Three decades into this crisis, let us set our sights on achieving the "three zeros" zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.

My observation is China is thinking more as a global player than regionally, in both politics and economics.