Attendees have now been approved for the 2011 high-level meeting on the comprehensive review of the progress achieved in realizing the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS taking place from 8-10 June 2011 in New York.

• List of ECOSOC organizations which have indicated that they will be attending the HLM (the resolution has invited all ECOSOC organizations to attend without the need for approval)

Uniting for Universal Access in Latin America: Towards Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS-related Deaths

Executive summary

In March of 2011, approximately 100 individuals from 17 Latin American countries met to review progress toward the commitments made by the world’s governments in the 2000 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the 2001 United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, and the 2006 United Nations Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS, including commitments for universal access by 2015 to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support.

African Union Ministers of Health gathered for their 5th Session from 17-21 April 2011 in Windhoek, Namibia. In preparation for this meeting, representatives of civil society groups responding to HIV and AIDS throughout the African region met on the 14 and 15 April to develop a common position on the progress towards Universal Access in Africa.

The outcome of civil society’s meeting is the “African Civil Society Declaration on the Review of Progress towards Universal Access to HIV and AIDS Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support in Africa” (available in English and French). The paper was presented to the African Union Technical Experts, where recommendations were discussed in relation to the AU, UNAIDS and WHO regional progress reports.

Zero New Infections. Zero AIDS-related Deaths. Zero Discrimination.

Universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support is the goal UNAIDS has set to meet by 2015. Where are we now in this goal? What have we achieved? What have we missed? What do we need?

Listed below are statements and recommendations from civil society organizations, which speak to the progress, barriers and lessons learned in various regions and among different populations. Several documents also respond to the recent Secretary General’s Report and the Regional Consultations on Universal Access.

UN Photo/John McIlwaine. Panel Discussion at the Civil Society Hearing.

Over the last few months consultations by national, regional and global AIDS advocates and representatives of key populations’ networks have led to many sets of civil society ‘asks’ of governments to respond to HIV and AIDS.  It was crucial to urgently develop a coordinated civil society approach to the negotiations for the outcome declaration from the UN General Assembly Comprehensive AIDS review High Level Meeting (HLM) in June 2011.

From 10-11 March 2011, Johannesburg, South Africa, was host to the Eastern and Southern Africa Civil Society Consultation on Universal Access. This consultation, among those in other regions, is a key outreach component leading up to the High Level Meeting in New York City in June 2011. This meeting brought together national and regional civil society representates from many key affected populations, trade unions, faith-based organizations, research institutes, development partners and the private sector. Delegate Felicita Hikuam attended on behalf of the UNAIDS PCB NGO Delegation.