Comprehensive AIDS Review 2011

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ICASO

Action Alert: Comprehensive AIDS Review 2011

Prepared by the International Council of AIDS

Service Organizations (ICASO) – January 2011

FOUR

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

(Information

based on the UN General Assembly Resolution A/Res/65/180 – see attached)

In December 2010 the United Nations General

Assembly approved a Resolution (A/Res/65/180) that sets out the process for the

2011 comprehensive review of the progress in implementing the Declaration of

Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS.

Please take into consideration the following

decisions contained in the Resolution when planning your advocacy actions:

o High level meeting to take place June 8-10,

2011 and to have plenary sessions and panel discussions

o Civil society encouraged to participate

(through an accreditation process or in government delegations)

o Civil society hearing to take place in

April 2011

o Member states will negotiate an outcome

document to be approved at the meeting

1) THE HIGH LEVEL MEETING

The high-level

meeting will take place 8 to 10 June

2011, in New York,

and will undertake a comprehensive review of the progress achieved in

realizing the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the Political

Declaration on HIV/AIDS.

The high-level

meeting will comprise plenary meetings

and up to five thematic panel

discussions[1]. The opening plenary meeting will feature statements

by the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General, the

Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, a

person openly living with HIV and an eminent person actively engaged in

the response to HIV/AIDS. [2]

2) CIVIL SOCIETY INVOLVEMENT

Non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, and

non-governmental members of the Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint

Programme are invited to participate in the high-level meeting, as

appropriate.

Representatives of

non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic

and Social Council, civil society organizations and the private sector,

one from each grouping, selected during the informal interactive hearing,

may also be included in the list of

speakers for the plenary meetings of the high-level

meeting, in consultation with the President of the General Assembly.

Member States are encouraged to include in their national

delegations representatives of civil society, including non‑governmental

organizations and organizations and networks representing people living

with HIV, women, young persons, orphans, community organizations,

faith-based organizations and the private sector.

The President of

the General Assembly, following appropriate consultations with Member

States, should draw up, no later than

31 March 2011, a list of other relevant civil society representatives, in particular

associations of people living with HIV, non-governmental organizations,

including organizations of women and young people, girls and boys and men,

faith-based organizations and the private sector, especially

pharmaceutical companies and representatives of labour, including on the

basis of the recommendations of the Joint Programme and taking into

account the principle of equitable geographical representation, and to

submit the list to Member States for consideration on a no-objection basis

for a final decision by the Assembly on participation in the high-level meeting, including

panel discussions.

3) CIVIL SOCIETY HEARING

The President of

the General Assembly will organize, no later than in April 2011, an informal interactive civil society hearing

with the active participation of people living with HIV and broader civil

society, and attended by representatives of Member States, the Observer

State and observers, non‑governmental organizations in consultative status

with the Economic and Social Council, invited civil society organizations

and the private sector, as part of the preparatory process for the

high-level meeting. The President of the General Assembly will preside

over the informal interactive hearing and will prepare a summary of the

hearing, issued as a document of the Assembly prior to the high-level

meeting.

4) OUTCOME DOCUMENT

The President of

the General Assembly will hold timely, open, transparent and inclusive consultations

with all Member States, with a view to adopting a concise and action-oriented declaration,

as an outcome of the high-level meeting to be agreed by Member States,

that reaffirms and builds on the Declaration of Commitment and the

Political Declaration to guide and monitor the HIV/AIDS response beyond

2010, giving due consideration to the report of the Secretary-General and

other inputs to the preparatory process for the high-level meeting.

KEY ADVOCACY ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE NOW TO ENSURE INVOLVEMENT

OF THE COMMUNITY SECTOR IN THE HIGH LEVEL MEETING

URGENT Action: Between now and the high level meeting, UN Missions in

New York

will negotiate an outcome document to be presented and approved at the

meeting in June. It is important that you immediately contact the National

AIDS Program and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in your country to

establish (or strengthen) a relationship that will allow you, and your

community sector colleagues, to influence

the input that the Mission in New York gives during the

negotiation process over the next 4 months.

Advocate for your government to send the highest level of official representation and that the delegation includes representatives of civil

society, particularly from organizations of people living with

HIV. You can contact other community organizations in your country

to develop a common strategy for this advocacy effort, including

identifying individuals who would best represent issues relevant for the

community sector. The Resolution dealing with the organization of the 2011

high-level meeting on AIDS:

Encourages Member States to include in their national delegations to the high-level

meeting parliamentarians, representatives of

civil society, including non‑governmental organizations and

organizations and networks representing people living with HIV, women, young

persons, orphans, community organizations, faith-based organizations and the

private sector (Paragraph 3).

Influence your government’s participation at the high-level

meeting by influencing their statements prior to the meeting.

It is vital that the unique perspectives and experience of the community

sector are included in these preparations and deliberations.

Participate as an ‘accredited’ NGO that will be allowed to attend the

Plenary sessions of the HLM (though seating availability is limited) as

well as other related events (panel discussion, civil society hearing,

etc.). ‘Accredited’ NGOs are NGOs

that:

already have consultative status

with the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC status) and that

request to be accredited to the meeting;

NGO representatives that are

delegates to the Programme Coordination Board of UNAIDS (PCB); and

Other NGOs that apply for accreditation

through the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Services (NGLS) and will be

accorded special authorization to attend the review meeting. (please

check www.icaso.org for information about accreditation that will be

posted once it becomes available).

Contact accredited NGOs directly (once the list of accredited organizations is made

public by the OPGA, it will be available by emailing universalaccess2010@...,

and it will be also posted in the ICASO’s website www.icaso.org and will be widely

distributed through different listserves).

[1] Chairs of the panel discussions

will present summaries of the discussions to the closing plenary meeting.

2

The President of the General Assembly, with support from UNAIDS and in

consultation with Member States, will identify a person openly living with HIV

and an eminent person actively engaged in the response to HIV/AIDS to speak at the

opening plenary meeting. They will also collaborate in the identification of

themes and finalization of the panel discussions, and with the Civil Society

Task Force on arrangements for the informal interactive hearing with civil

society.

_____________________________________________________________

Kieran Daly | Executive Director

International

Council of AIDS Service Organizations

Mobilizing

and supporting diverse community organizations

to build an effective response to HIV and AIDS.

www.icaso.org | www.aids2010community.org | www.csactionteam.org

65 Wellesley St. E., Suite 403 | Toronto, ON

| Canada M4Y 1G7

Office: +1 416 921 0018 ext. 21 | Mobile: +1 416 275 8413| Fax: +1 416 921 9979

Email: kierand@... | Skype:

kieran.icaso

[1] Chairs of the panel discussions

will present summaries of the discussions to the closing plenary meeting.

[2] The President of the General

Assembly, with support from UNAIDS and in consultation with Member States, will

identify a person openly living with HIV and an eminent person actively engaged

in the response to HIV/AIDS to speak at the opening plenary meeting. They will

also collaborate in the identification of themes and finalization of the panel

discussions, and with the Civil Society Task Force on arrangements for the

informal interactive hearing with civil society.

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