YES 2 GIPA DESK NOW !: URGENT CALL for INDIAN PLHIV

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YES 2 GIPA DESK NOW: URGENT CALL for INDIAN PLHIV

If you agree that UNAIDS should establish a GIPA 'Desk' at UNAIDS India Country

Office, please 'sign-on' by:

SMS: 09971043320 Please 'sign-on' with the text " YES 2 GIPA DESK NOW " .

e-mail: gipa.now@...

PLHIV Act Now: Your 'voice' can then be brought to the PCB Board Meeting on 21

June for consideration, delivered by Civil Society colleagues.

http://unaidspcbngo.org/?p=7753

One little SMS text message or email can make a big difference, and we'll keep

you posted regularly on the progress of this demand for GIPA in practice. Send

" YES 2 GIPA DESK NOW " to 09971043320

In solidarity,

Snehansu Bhaduri

Celina Menezes D`Costa

Tarit Chakraborty

Jiban Brambha,

Kausik Das

Samir Naskar

e-mail: gipa.now@...

______________________

YES 2 GIPA DESK NOW. The campaign.

UNAIDS is a model of good governance within the UN 'Family' (WHO, UNAIDS, ILO,

UNDP, etc.) in encouraging civil society involvement and welcoming the NGO

Delegation to the Board (PCB). UNAIDS has also been in the lead in promoting

GIPA, the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS, and has encouraged

governments and the private sector to practice this important policy.

(http://www.unaids.org/en/PolicyAndPractice/GIPA/default.asp )

However, promoting and practicing seems to be two different things. UNAIDS does

not have any country level GIPA coordinators or PLHIV engaged to promote and

oversee the practice of this policy. Although UNAIDS Head Quarter in Geneva has

a small number of PLHIV working on different issues, 'in-country' there is no

one from the community living with HIV engaged by UNAIDS to turn the words of

Geneva into realities on the ground.

Every UNAIDS Country Office must establish a 'GIPA Facilitator Desk', with

resources to carry out the job, for a PLHIV trained to coordinate, advance and

mainstream GIPA across the public and private sectors. Every UNAIDS Country

Office should work with the community to develop the terms of reference for this

focal point position, and as GIPA Policy states, allow greater involvement of

PLHIV Community in designing the job description, work-plan, selection or

election of the PLHIV, and oversight of the performance of the 'GIPA

Facilitator'. The person should be accountable to both UNAIDS and the Community

of PLHIV, and transparent for all.

This demand for GIPA 'Facilitators' should be on the agenda at the upcoming 26th

PCB meeting in Geneva the 22-24 June. Although there are financial implications,

the cost is negligible compared with the recognized gains for country programs

that GIPA best practices brings. A decision by the PCB to establish GIPA

'Facilitators' at each UNAIDS country offices in the coming months will add

value to UNAIDS as an innovative model for the rest of the UN system, and a

global leader in practicing what they preach.

YES 2 GIPA DESK NOW Campaign.

e-mail: gipa.now@...