NGO Deadline for UNGASS accreditation: 3 Days Away
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***** FINAL REMINDER *****
UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS
NGO accreditation DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY 31st JANUARY 2001
The United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS will
take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 25 to
27 June 2001. It aims to intensify international action to combat
HIV/AIDS and to secure a global political commitment and the re-
sources needed.
On 18th January, UNAIDS issued an invitation for interested NGOs and
other civil society organisations to apply for 'accreditation' to
take part in this meeting, and the preparatory meetings taking place
in February and April. The deadline for applications is now just
THREE DAYS away.
Detailed instructions for accreditation, application forms and a de-
scription of essential accompanying documents, are available (in Eng-
lish and French) at the UNAIDS website:
As part of the preparations for the meeting, governments will be de-
veloping and negotiating a set of commitments and priorities for fu-
ture action in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. It is expected that
during the special session, a declaration of commitment shall be
adopted by the General Assembly. The declaration will be a reference
for future decision-making on AIDS by governments, inter-governmental
organizations, and a potentially powerful advocacy tool for civil so-
ciety actors.
We have a collective responsibility to help ensure that the HIV/AIDS-
related priorities of our regions, our countries and our communities
are reflected in those negotiations and the resulting declaration.
Whether you are applying for formal accreditation or not, you still
have opportunities to listen and contribute to the UNGASS prepara-
tions. There are three ways you and your organisation can get in-
volved:
1. - Join the dedicated civil society email discussion forum:
An e-mail forum has been set up to channel your input, ideas and pri-
orities into the preparatory process of the special session. The fo-
rum will provide a visible and accessible arena for all, including
government representatives and UN officials.
Issues that are raised through forum contributions will be synthe-
sized and made available to government delegations throughout the
preparatory process of the special session. News and announcements
about the preparations for the special session will also be distrib-
uted through the forum.
TO JOIN THE FORUM, send an e-mail to: <break-the-silence@hdnet.org>
2. - Contact your own government:
Find out which ministry is organizing your country's delegation to
the special session. Contact them, and ask them to include NGO repre-
sentatives in their delegation or to raise specific HIV/AIDS-related
issues and priorities at the special session.
3. - Contact the NGO members of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating
Board (PCB):
The UNAIDS/PCB is the governing body of UNAIDS and there are two NGO
representatives from each of the major regions of the world, who
regularly take part in PCB meetings. They will be actively involved
in the preparations for the UNGASS meeting.
You can send them your input, ideas and priorities about what should
be included in the UNGASS NGO agenda - either directly or through the
email forum mentioned above. Contact details of the UNAIDS/PCB NGO
delegation members, as well as their requests for focused feedback,
shall be distributed through the e-mail forum. A list of NGOs that
are accredited to take part in the UNGASS meetings shall also be made
available in due course.
For more information on the special session:
UNAIDS is the substantive secretariat for the special session. You
can visit their web site for the latest information on the special
session, including background documents and resolutions, fact sheets
and a note on the special session by the President of the General As-
sembly at:
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Health & Development Networks - 28 Jan 2001
http://www.hdnet.org
mailto:ungass@hdnet.org
Health & Development Networks has recently been commissioned by
UNAIDS to help ensure that NGO and community voices are channelled,
in a transparent way, into the UN General Assembly special session on
HIV/AIDS.
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Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'.
For additional assistance, send mail to: `owner-afro-nets@usa.healthnet.org'.