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.

Thank you to everyone who joined our recent Global Webinar for Civil Society! We delved into insights from the 53rd PCB meeting and looked ahead to the 54th PCB meeting. Missed the webinar? Catch up by watching the recordings through the links below. Stay tuned for more updates and events!

This meticulously crafted report embodies a collective effort and unwavering dedication toward addressing the challenges faced by individuals living with HIV amidst humanitarian crises. The findings, insights, and recommendations contained within this document reflect a deep understanding of the multifaceted issues faced by this vulnerable community.

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.

The NGO Delegation appreciates MOPAN’s diligent efforts in compiling this assessment, acknowledging the substantial work and careful consideration invested in its creation. The assessment thoughtfully addresses many critical issues, notably the concerns and grievances surrounding the Secretariat’s current performance, financial resilience, and relationship with co-sponsors. Most significantly, this assessment offers valuable insights into the perspectives of various stakeholders on UNAIDS, facilitating a constructive path forward, upholding its existence beyond 2030, and sustaining its core mandate now and in the future.

“As we look forward to the next thematic segment, we must continue to ensure the voices of people living with and affected by HIV are positioned front and center as we seek out appropriate multistakeholder efforts which countries, the private sector, and communities can take ownership to prevent new HIV infections effectively. Thus, we sincerely request that you submit a case study for this important thematic segment,”

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.

We invite Civil Society Organizations to share their ideas for topics for the thematic segments of the PCB meetings in 2024. Which burning HIV/AIDS-related matter deserves the attention of UNAIDS during its board meetings? Let us know!