8/20/2019 Why the UN High Level Meeting on AIDS Is Important
(and How to Get Involved)
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Why the UN High Level Meeting on AIDS Is Important (and
How to Get Involved)
By Chris Collins
Whether or not you usually follow UN processes, the High-Level
Meeting on AIDS (HLM) this June is
worth paying attention to. In fact, it's one of the biggest
advocacy opportunities on the horizon.
Why? Governments from all over the world will meet and issue a
statement of commitment (a
"political declaration") on the global response to AIDS.
Hopefully, the 2016 Declaration will set bold
new targets for HIV treatment, prevention, human rights and
investment.
Ideally, at this HLM governments will acknowledge that it is
time to deliver the benefits of scientific
research to all people, free of discrimination or false notions
of scarcity; moreover, that we need more
equitable use of resources to reach key populations and others
and increased funding overall to
accelerate the response for everyone.
It's time to assert that a robust response to the AIDS epidemic
will be the leading edge of progress on
multiple Sustainable Development Goals, and that without new
investment there is a very real
possibility that the epidemic will rebound, causing the
unnecessary deaths of millions, particularly
marginalized people.
Past declarations have been important. The "15 by 15" effort --
to reach 15 million people with HIV
treatment by 2015 -- grew out of the 2011
Declaration, and that goal was achieved (early). The 2011
Declaration also called for closing the resource gap in AIDS
financing. Pressure from civil society was
critical to the inclusion of these targets.
At this HLM, the world can send a message of recommitment that
will influence the decisions of
development partners, both public and private, and implementing
governments for many years. Theconverse is also possible. Failure
to set bold targets could send a negative message about the state
of
the global AIDS response. There is a real danger of backsliding
from commitments in previous
declarations and good language on targets and evidence-based
approaches in the revised UNAIDS
Strategy.
We need a groundswell of activism in the months leading to the
HLM. Groups can demand
commitments, pledge to contribute, do public actions, release
new evidence and speak to the science
and human rights. This work can set the stage for a strong HLM
declaration, an energized Durban
International AIDS Conference and a successful Global Fund
replenishment later in the year.
Think of the climate conference held in Paris last year. It was
preceded by months of various groups
(activists, the private sector, leading scientists and others)
making commitments, issuing new
analyses, and calling people to action. For the HLM, we need to
galvanize that kind of engagement
from everyone with a stake in the global AIDS response.
There are a lot of ways to be engaged. In addition to your own
advocacy with governments and in the
media, you can connect with others in civil society who are
organizing around the HLM. You can also
seek to join your country's delegation to the HLM. International
Council of Aids Service Organizations
(ICASO) is working with a coalition of civil society groups on
various aspects of the HLM, and can be
reached [email protected].
http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/sub_landing/files/20110610_UN_A-RES-65-277_en.pdfhttp://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/sub_landing/files/20110610_UN_A-RES-65-277_en.pdfhttp://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/sub_landing/files/20110610_UN_A-RES-65-277_en.pdfhttp://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2015/UNAIDS_PCB37_15-18http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2015/UNAIDS_PCB37_15-18http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2015/UNAIDS_PCB37_15-18http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2015/UNAIDS_PCB37_15-18mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2015/UNAIDS_PCB37_15-18http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2015/UNAIDS_PCB37_15-18http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/sub_landing/files/20110610_UN_A-RES-65-277_en.pdf
