The continuous underfunding of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS has now trickled down to the Joint Programme’s governance. It is threatening the meaningful involvement of civil society in shaping the Joint Programme. The NGO Delegation reveals that multiple unsuccessful attempts have been made to engage UNAIDS and its funding Member States regarding the financial shortages. 

In 2019, San Patten was presented with an opportunity to co-run an independent external Expert Advisory Committee on Evaluation for UNAIDS. The UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board had approved the establishment of an independent evaluation function reporting directly to the UNAIDS Board. The function would comprise evaluation experts appointed by Member States, civil society, and UNAIDS Sponsors. Patten was nominated by the NGO Delegation to represent civil society in the committee. This seemed like a natural progression of Patten’s career, as she had been working in the field of HIV/AIDS for more than two decades at that point. 

With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of John Rock, a distinguished member of the NGO Delegation of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) between 2013 and 2014. John’s dedication and passion for international development, particularly in the field of HIV/AIDS, left an indelible mark on countless lives and communities.

The NGO Delegation is gearing up for its Strategic Planning Meeting, scheduled from 15-17 July 2024, to be held in Munich, Germany. This pivotal gathering aims to chart a course for the delegation’s future endeavors, addressing critical global health challenges and refining strategies for impactful advocacy. To ensure the success of this endeavor, the delegation is extending an invitation for a skilled facilitator, preferably based in Europe (due to budgetary constraints), to lead the discussions and guide the participants towards achieving their objectives.

The 54th UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) thematic segment focuses on “Sustaining the gains of the global HIV response to 2030 and beyond” and will take place on 27 June 2024. The thematic segment will highlight examples of learning from countries in different regions across the Joint Programme. UNAIDS seeks case studies of successful programs and approaches to inform the session.

The NGO Delegation to the UNAIDS PCB is calling for nominations for Civil Society Advisory Group (CSAG) members. The CSAG supports the delegation’s working group in bringing forward pressing issues from a civil society perspective during the development of the thematic segment of the 54th PCB meeting. The topic of the upcoming thematic segment is: « Sustaining the gains of the global HIV response to 2030 and beyond. »

The NGO Delegation warmly welcomes Shamin Mohamed Jr., the representative for LetsStopAIDS, and Fionnuala Murphy, Head of Global Advocacy at Frontline AIDS, as the two incoming delegates for Europe and North America, respectively.

In a significant stride towards eradicating HIV-related stigma and discrimination, the Global Partnership for Action to Eliminate All Forms of HIV-Related Stigma and Discrimination, co-convened by the NGO Delegation, has unveiled a new tool designed to empower communities in the monitoring and evaluation of stigma reduction efforts.

Being an NGO delegate gave me a direct experience of global health diplomacy, where simple distinctions between policy and politics don’t apply. I had to quickly move from being the NGO outsider to finding myself very much part of reaching an agreement across significant divides: public health science, national and cultural interests, and a global rights-based approach to health, all within a context of intense multi-stakeholder lobbying and advocacy. Being an NGO delegate at the PCB is both exhilarating and exhausting. What makes it worthwhile is knowing that you are contributing even a little to ending AIDS and ensuring health for all. 

The CCF is hosted by a civil society organization based on a two-year contract. The current contract is ending on 31 December 2023. The UNAIDS Secretariat and the NGO Delegation, therefore, have to start a procurement process to select the organization that will host CCF for the coming two years.