UNGASS Review Meeting - Call for applications from civil society, PLHIV

[Guest guest]

Invitation for Civil Society Nominations to attend UNGASS Review

UNAIDS is inviting nominations for civil society organizations wishing to

take part in a formal review of progress towards targets agreed by United

Nations member states five years ago to tackle HIV and AIDS. At the end of

2005 the United Nations General Assembly agreed to convene a High-Level

Meeting and undertake a Comprehensive Review of the progress achieved in

realizing the targets set out in the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS.

The Review will take place at the United Nations headquarters in New York

from 31 May to 2 June 2006. Informal interactive civil society hearings

will be held on the morning of 31 May.

Recognising the importance of civil society in the AIDS response UNAIDS has

worked for many months with civil society partners and the General Assembly

to secure meaningful and active participation of civil society at the

Review. The General Assembly Secretariat will draw up a list of civil

society representatives to be invited to participate in the meeting by 15

February 2006.

This list will complement civil society organizations that are accredited to

the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) and those

civil society organizations that will attend the meeting as representatives

on national delegations.

It is anticipated that more than 1,000 civil society organizations will take

part in the Review.

The NGO members of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board will serve as the

selection panel which will make the recommendations to the General Assembly

Secretariat.

Organizations with a proven record of making a difference in the AIDS

response are encouraged to indicate their interest in participating in the

meeting through the completion and submission of an application form

attached to this communication or available from the UNAIDS website

www.unaids.org <http://www.unaids.org/> by 3 February 2006.

People living with HIV are especially encouraged to apply - although they

should be aware of travel restrictions in the USA that might mean they need

to disclose their health status to secure entry.

Details on the US waiver system can be found at the US Department of Justice

website on

http://uscis.gov/graphics/publicaffairs/factsheets/HIVfs.htm

Member States and Observers have also been invited to include civil society

and private sector representatives in their national delegations to the

meeting.

A different process will apply to civil society organizations that are

accredited to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations

(ECOSOC). These organizations should confirm their interest in

participating in the meeting by 30 March 2006 with the Non-Governmental

Organizations Section of the United Nations Secretariat at

desangosection@... <mailto:desangosection@...> providing information

on the number of representatives expected to attend themeeting. Such

registration will facilitate their consideration for participation in the

round tables of the meeting.

The text from the formal UN Resolution reads: " ...Requests the President of

the General Assembly, following appropriate consultations with Member

States, to draw up, not later than 15 February 2006, a list of other

relevant civil society representatives, in particular associations of

people living with HIV/AIDS, non-governmental organizations, including

organizations of women and young people, girls and boys and men,

faith-based organizations, and the private sector, especially pharmaceutical

companies and representatives of labour, including on the basis of the

recommendations of the Joint Programme and taking into account the principle

of equitable geographical representation, and to submit the list to Member

States for consideration on a no-objection basis for a final decision by the

Assembly on participation in the

review and high-level meeting, including round tables and panel

discussions; "

Information about possible sources of support in attending the meeting will

be communicated at a later date.

Nominations should be sent, by 3 February, to csp@...

'UNGASS Nomination'

Civil Society Partnerships Unit

UNAIDS

20 avenue Appia

1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland

Fax: +41 22 791 4149

Tel: +41 22 791 4448

csp@... <mailto:smiths@...>

For further information: www.unaids.org <http://www.unaids.org/>

Or by email to csp@... <mailto:csp@...>