Action: Civil Society Coalition on HIV/AIDS UNGASS – GET INVOLVED!
Civil Society Steering Committee (outgoing)
*********

Dear all,

Following the recent announcement about the newly formed:

Civil Society Coalition on HIV/AIDS UNGASS

we are pleased to provide more information about the work of the Coalition
and about options for getting involved in preparations for the UNGASS
Review Meeting (taking place in late May 2006 in New York).

(UNGASS = United Nations General Assembly Special Session)

As a quick reminder, the objectives of the Coalition are to:

- Encourage and strengthen active civil society participation in reviewing
progress with implementing the 2001 UNGASS Declaration of Commitment (DoC)
on HIV/AIDS (and the official UNGASS Review Meeting); and
- Promote transparency and accountability around the UNGASS Review process
and meeting.

With more civil society organisations now joining preparations for the
UNGASS review, we are able to generate a louder collective voice, more
pressure and influence on the process, and speed up our joint responses to
key issues as they arise.

Anyone can be part of the Coalition, which is open to all civil society
organizations (CSOs) that:

- are committed to and fully support full implementation of the DoC;
- are also commited to the principle of non-discrimination with regard to
people living with HIV/AIDS and all groups most vulnerable to the
epidemic.

To get involved, CSOs that meet these criteria are encouraged to
self-nominate to join one or more of the Coalition’s three working groups
(WGs) according to your own interests and strengths. The Working Groups
are focused on:

- WGI: HIV/AIDS UNGASS Review Meeting (New York)
- WGII: National-level activities around HIV/AIDS UNGASS
- WGIII: Communications and information dissemination

Please see below for further information about the Working Groups and
their specific focus, as well as contacts and other details you need to
nominate yourself or your organisation.

GET INVOLVED TODAY!

We strongly encourage you to join the Coalition, and look forward to
working with you!

Once again, please let us know if we can provide any further information
or other help. For a full description of the Coalition, including how it
came about, and other background documents on UNGASS, please go to:

www.ungasshiv.org

with best regards,

Tim

Tim France
Health & Development Networks
Email: tfran@hdnet.org

(sent on behalf of WGIII and the outgoing Steering Committee: K.K.Abraham,
Susan Chong, Tim France, Rachel Guglielmo, Alessandra Nilo, Allan Ragi,
Mary Ann Torres, Marcel van Soest)

Further information about the Coalition Working Groups:

******************

I. Working Group on HIV/AIDS UNGASS Review Meeting – New York

This Working Group is focused on interacting with the UN around
preparation for the UNGASS Review Meeting New York, with the objective of
encouraging, facilitating and supporting active CSO participation in the
meeting. Its activities may include:

- Advocating for a clear and transparent process for review and selection
of CSO participants in the meeting, including plenary session,
roundtables, panel discussions, the interactive civil society hearing, and
as observers;

- Gathering information about CSO representatives selected (and not
selected), with a view to pressing for corrective measures to ensure
representation of groups not selected or screened out by governments
during the formal selection process.

- Maintaining contact with the UNAIDS Secretariat and Co-sponsors, to ensure:
 * regular communication of UNAIDS’ messages regarding UNGASS Review
preparation to CSOs;
 * civil society input into documentation prepared by UNAIDS Secretariat
(e.g. UNAIDS guidelines for government participants in roundtables,
etc.);
 * transmission of issues and concerns from CSOs to UNAIDS;
 * adequate logistical support for CSO participants both inside the
meeting and as observers;
 * maximum access for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) (including
through visa waivers);

- Developing relationships with government missions to the UN:
 * encourage their support for civil society participation in the UNGASS
Review meeting (including through national delegations);
 * advocate for suitable forums/opportunities for CSO representatives to
present their messages and inputs (including through meetings/briefings
hosted by missions);
 * obtain member state support for key CSO demands and concerns in the
lead up to and during the UNGASS Review meeting;

- Advising on and helping channel civil society input into the UNGASS
meeting, including messaging, documentation, briefing papers, press
releases, participation in civil society hearing (content);

- Organization of pre-meeting briefing sessions for CSO
delegates/participants in the UNGASS Review Meeting;

- Advocating for and disseminate information about CSO opportunities to
provide inputs into the Secretary-General’s Report and the Outcomes
document;

To self-nominate to participate in Working Group I, please contact Marcel
van Soest, World AIDS Campaign (vansoestm@worldaidscampaign.org) and Zonny
Woods, International Women’s Health Coalition (zonnyw@yahoo.co.uk).

II. Working Group on National-level Activities around UNGASS HIV/AIDS

This Working Group is focused on activities at the country level. Its
activities may include:

- Promoting country level activities in parallel to UNGASS Review Meeting,
including through:
 * Preparation of a guide for CSOs on how to get involved in the UNGASS
Review;
 * Advocacy around inclusion of CSO participants in national delegations;
 * Facilitate and promote the organization of national-level consultations
with government delegations as opportunity for CSOs to provide their
messages/input;
 * Facilitate and promote the organization of public events at the
national level around the time of the review meeting;

- Ensuring that national level priorities and outputs (including those
articulated by UNGASS monitoring projects) are fed into international
processes, including through:
 * Compilation of key messages through fact sheets; briefing papers; press
releases; summary reports; etc. on basis of national reports and
activities
 * Communication about the planning of national-level events at the UNGASS
meeting
 * Help organize of a pre-Review Meeting briefing (May 29-30) for CSO
delegates
 * Organize an event to allow CSO participants to present publicly their
UNGASS review findings, shadow reports and recommendations.

- Mobilizing CSOs to be engaged and linked to consultations on the
Universal Access process and related opportunities

To self-nominate to participate in Working Group II, please contact Mary
Ann Torres, International Council of AIDS Service Organizations
(ungass@icaso.org).

III. Working Group on Communications and Information Dissemination

This Working Group is focused on providing communications support to the
first two working groups, and on disseminating information about the
UNGASS review process more generally, which may include the following
activities:

- Promoting transparency and accountability through timely and open
distribution of information on “Break the Silence” e-forum, other
listerves and the ungasshiv.org website.

- Ensuring wide dissemination of new/relevant UNGASS-related information
resources as they become available (e.g., announcements, sessions and
meeting agendas, deadlines etc) in particular about opportunities for CSO
participation in UNGASS.

- Facilitating communication of the outputs generated by the Working
Groups, including information on the UNGASS Review, guides for CSOs,
briefing papers, fact sheets etc.

- Increasing awareness of on-site opportunities for civil society
participation in the UNGASS review meeting through the preparation on a
manual on civil society participation in the General Assembly meeting.

- Promoting country-level and international media coverage of the UNGASS
Review Meeting, including such issues as:
 * Organization/preparation of country delegations – to what extent are
civil society groups and PLWHA engaged/involved?
 * Key messages country delegation will be bringing to NYC – to what
extent do they reflect country consultations/input from country-level
PLWHA and CSOs?

- Facilitating media contacts and coverage of CSO participation in UNGASS
Review events, both in NYC and at the country level.

To self-nominate to participate Working Group 3, please contact Tim
France, Health Development Networks (tfran@hdnet.org)

**Remember, for a full description of the Coalition, including how it came
about, and other background documents on UNGASS, please go to:

www.ungasshiv.org

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Cross-posted from: Break-the-silence eForum