Special session on HIV/AIDS - UN General Assembly
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From June 25 to 27, 2001, the United Nations General Assembly will con-
vene a special session on HIV/AIDS in New York to review the problem in
all its aspects and to secure a global commitment to combat the epi-
demic.
At the special session, Member States of the General Assembly of the
United Nations are expected to agree on a declaration of commitment that
will strengthen political commitment and intensify efforts in the global
fight against HIV/AIDS.
In resolution 55/13 of the General Assembly, adopted on 16 November
2000, Member States recognized the importance of the contribution of
civil society actors, including associations of people living with
HIV/AIDS, NGO and the business sector, in the response to the epidemic
and underlined the need for their involvement in both the preparatory
process of the special session and in the special session itself.
I - Why is this special session of the General Assembly important to
civil society actors?
The General Assembly is the main deliberative body of the United Na-
tions. It is composed of Member States representing all 189 countries of
the world. The decisions of the General Assembly carry the political
heavyweight of world opinion on major international issues.
Therefore, the special session will provide a unique opportunity for
civil society actors in the area of HIV/AIDS to contribute to the global
commitment in the fight against the epidemic and to make their voice
heard among world leaders.
The special session will also provide a platform for discussions and
information exchange/sharing on various responses at all levels, from
grass roots to global.
As part of the preparations for the special session, governments will
be developing and negotiating a set of commitments and priorities for
future action in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. It is expected that
a declaration of commitment shall be adopted by the General Assembly at
the special session. The declaration will be a reference for future de-
cision-making on AIDS by governments, inter-governmental organizations
and a potentially powerful advocacy tool for civil society actors.
We all have a collective responsibility to help ensure that the priori-
ties of our regions, our countries and our communities are reflected.
II - How to get involved in the special session and its preparatory
process:
A - Join the dedicated civil society email discussion forum As not all
civil society actors will be able to participate in the preparatory
meetings and the special session itself, a virtual forum (via email) has
been set up to channel your input, ideas and priorities into the pre-
paratory process of the special session.
This e-mail forum will provide a visible and accessible arena for all,
including government representatives and UN officials. Issues raised
through forum contributions will be synthesized and clustered into re-
gional and/or thematic priorities. They may also be collated into an
'NGO Issues Paper'. These contributions will be made available to gov-
ernment delegations throughout the preparatory process of the special
session.
News and announcements about the preparations for the special session
will also be distributed through the forum.
To join the forum, kindly send an email to: mailto:break-the-
silence@hdnet.org
B - Through 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 representatives in their delegation or to raise spe-
cific HIV/AIDS-related issues and priorities at the special session.
C - Apply for accreditation to the special session. To participate in
the special session in person, an accreditation is required. The ac-
creditation process is formal, and requires specific criteria and sup-
porting documents. Accreditation allows invited civil society actors to
attend selected meetings of the preparatory process and the special ses-
sion itself (although at present no travel funds are available for at-
tending NGOs).
Detailed accreditation procedures and instructions shall be distributed
widely in the next few days.
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, announcements and NGO
accreditation procedure and instructions at: www.unaids.org
"We must make people everywhere understand that the AIDS crisis is not
over; that this is not about a few foreign countries, far away. This is
a threat to an entire generation; this is a threat to an entire civili-
zation. The General Assembly special session will provide us with an oc-
casion as never before to face up to our responsibility to future gen-
erations, and take decisive action now to turn back the progress of
this terrible disease." United Nations Secretary - General Kofi Annan.
"When the General Assembly holds its special session on AIDS in June,
all the United Nations Member States will have the chance to pledge
their commitment to the global fight against AIDS. I look forward to
that occasion, not for the fine words that will no doubt be produced,
but for the tangible outcomes it will make closer. As the new century
dawns, every corner of the planet is aware of the terrible scale of the
epidemic. We must now ensure the world demands an effective response,
equal to that scale." UNAIDS Executive Director - Peter Piot
Health & Development Networks (www.hdnet.org) has 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. The mission of Health & Development Networks is to mobilize a
more effective response to HIV/AIDS and other health- and development-
related issues by improving information, communication and the quality
of debate.
Issued on 17 January 2001
UNAIDS
www.unaids.org
mailto:break-the-silence@hdnet.org
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