At a public commemoration ceremony held at St Bartholomew's Church in New York on Thursday, Annan told the audience that the virus, which has killed 25 million people and infected 40 million others, is "the greatest challenge of our generation".
However, Annan was also quick to commend efforts saying that there had been a noticeable and distinct change in the attitude of the international community over the past decade.
Annan said, "Financial resources are being committed like never before, people have access to antiretroviral treatment like never before, and several countries are managing to fight the spread like never before. Now, as the number of infections continues unabated, we need to mobilize like never before."
Indicating what kind of response he would like to see from the result of World AIDS Day, the UN chief declared the urgent need for "every president and prime minister, every parliamentarian and politician, to declare that 'AIDS stops with me".
It is now 25 years since the first case of AIDS was identified, and this year also marks the 19th World AIDS Day.
The UN has remained dedicated to fighting the virus, and is also marking the 10th anniversary since the formation of UNAIDS, which is the UN-wing formed with the specific focus to finding the most efficient and effective methods of fighting the pandemic.
The theme given to this year's World AIDS Day is 'Accountability'. With this in mind, Annan called on the world's most powerful leaders to protect vulnerable groups, including sex workers, as well as those living with HIV.
World leaders "need to work for real, positive change that will give more power and confidence to women and girls, and transform relations between women and men at all levels of society," he declared.
However, he also acknowledged that accountability to eradicate AIDS was not limited to political leaders as he pushed for all people worldwide to take a note of the horrific death toll that AIDS brings, with 4 million new cases every year.
The UNAIDS target to treat 9.8 million people with antiretroviral by 2010 is far behind schedule according to commentators, and Annan said that by 2010 the total need must more than double to more than US$20 billion (Euro15 billion) every year. Currently the figure stands at just US$8 billion.
Annan concluded: "Because the response has started to gain real momentum, the stakes are higher now then than ever before. We cannot risk letting the advances that have been achieved unravel; we must not jeopardize the heroic efforts of so many."
