The 31st board meeting agenda covered themes of civil society participation, investment in the HIV response and the issues of gender and non-discrimination. Discussions on the post-2015 agenda were also prominent with UNAIDS committing to engage further in the global conversation.
The NGO Delegation’s role and value at the PCB was front and centre at this meeting with a comprehensive review of its development over the past five years. Despite the disapproval voiced by a few conservative Member States of the interventions and proposals of decision points from the NGO Delegation, the majority of Member States spoke up to support the Delegation’s important contribution to discussions at the PCB, the success of its work and its watchdog role.
The Delegation clearly demonstrated their value for civil society in this board meeting: in the Gender item, it added language for “women from key populations” and “women’s rights and health organizations” and secured UNAIDS to report on the implementation of recommendations from the mid-term review; under Strategic Investment, the Delegation lobbied for and gained reporting on UNAIDS’ technical support; and it pushed for, but did not obtain, the promotion of investments in new prevention technologies and clear recognition for the use of existing prevention technologies.