Five Year Review of the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS

Five Year Review of the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS • 31 May - 2 June 2006

Forthcoming, August 2006
New publication by the Center for Women's Global Leadership: Strengthening Resistance: Confronting Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS

Five-year review of the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS:
Final Political Declaration http://www.un.org/ga/aidsmeeting2006/declaration.htm

CWGL Co-sponsored Event

May 30, 2006 (3-6pm): Putting Violence Against Women on the HIV&AIDS Agenda: A Dialogue between Women's Rights and HIV&AIDS Activists and Policy Makers. Click here for flyer.

Other Events

May 31, 2006 (1-3pm): Discussion, HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, sponsored by Amnesty International to mark the launch of its new report, "I am not ashamed" HIV/AIDS and Human Rights in the Dominican Republic and Guyana, 777 UN Plaza, Church Centre, 2nd Fl.
May 31, 2006 (6-8pm): Interactive discussion & film screening, Women, conflict, sexual violence and HIV/AIDS, looking at the heavy cost of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda to women in Rwanda and in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Short documentaries, "Silent Genocide" and the Academy Award-nominated "God Sleeps in Rwanda" will be screened, Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium, UN Headquarters. RSVP (REGISTRATION REQUIRED): derise@un.org / 917-367-3541.
June 2, 2006 (9:30-11am): Prevention NOW! Expanding Access to Female Condoms to Stem the Spread of HIV: Panel Discussion and Launch of New Campaign, Beekman Tower Hotel, 3 Mitchell Place, 1st Avenue and East 49th Street, New York, NY. For more info: change@genderhealth.org.

From 31 May – 2 June 2006, governments will convene at the United Nations in New York to report on progress they have made toward implementing commitments to halt and reverse the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These commitments were established in 2001 in the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (DoC) http://www.un.org/ga/aids/docs/aress262.pdf. The DoC acknowledges that the HIV/AIDS epidemic constitutes a “global emergency and one of the most formidable challenges to human life and dignity” and calls for an urgent, coordinated and sustained response to HIV/AIDS. It stresses that “gender equality and the empowerment of women are fundamental elements in the reduction of the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV/AIDS,” and covers broad areas including leadership, prevention, care, support and treatment, and human rights. In particular, it calls on States to “develop and accelerate the implementation of national strategies that promote the advancement of women and women’s full enjoyment of all human rights; promote shared responsibility of men and women to ensure safe sex; and empower women to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality to increase their ability to protect themselves from HIV infection.” The DoC goes on to state that women and girls should be provided with sexual and reproductive health care services as a principal measure to increase their capacity to protect themselves from infection.

The DoC is a critical international agreement in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The upcoming five-year review presents a key opportunity for civil society to hold governments accountable for the promises they have made on HIV/AIDS. Please follow the links below for more information on how to get involved.

Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.
http://www.ungasshiv.org/
This is a website specifically devoted to civil society participation in the five year review of the UNGASS DoC. Contains much information and resources on how to get involved, including important dates, how to get info on shadow reports, and info on the Civil Society Coalition on HIV/AIDS UNGASS.

With Women Worldwide: A Compact to End HIV/AIDS
http://www.iwhc.org/withwomenworldwide/compact.cfm
From the International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) website: Developed by international advocates for women's health and rights, "With Women Worldwide: A Compact to End HIV/AIDS" outlines concrete actions to make the global response to HIV/AIDS work for women.

UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (DoC)
http://www.un.org/ga/aids/docs/aress262.pdf

Analysis of the DoC by Françoise Girard, Senior Program Officer, International Women's Health Coalition
http://www.iwhc.org/global/un/unhistory/hivaidsreflections.cfm

UNAIDS: The United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS
http://www.unaids.org/en/

The following UN documents have been issued in preparation for the five-year review of the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS. Many of the topics addressed in the texts below will form the basis of the government and civil society deliberations of the UNGASS review.

United Nations Secretary General's Report and UNAIDS Universal Access Summary Report - Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS: five years later http://data.unaids.org/pub/Report/2006/20060324_SGReport_GA_A60737_en.pdf

UNAIDS summary report - Towards universal access: assessment by the Joint United Nation's programme on HIV/AIDS on scaling up HIV prevention, treatment, care and support http://data.unaids.org/pub/InformationNote/2006/20060324_HLM_GA_A60737_en.pdf

Language versions are available for both reports on the UNAIDS High Level Meeting on AIDS webpage http://www.unaids.org/en/AIDSreview2006/AIDSReview2006/default.asp