Thousands of people are gathering in Washington for the third day of an International AIDS Conference attended by diplomats, politicians and celebrities.

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the conference that America is committed to creating an “AIDS-free generation.”

She said the U.S. is ready to invest, in Africa and elsewhere, in clinics that help slow mother-to-child transmissions. She also praised male circumcision programs in Africa that have been highly effective in slowing the spread of HIV/AIDS.

British rock star Elton John spoke against stigma, hate and ignorance that he said hamper the fight against the spread of AIDS.

The United Nations says 34 million people live with HIV / AIDS and 1.7 million died from the disease in 2011.