Opening and Closing Sessions
Description
The Opening session is held on the Sunday before the Conference sessions start. It is usually held in a large stadium or similar venue. The programme comprises of welcome speeches by government officials from the host country as well as the Conference Co-chairs and other dignitaries. Traditionally the key speaker is a representative of people living with HIV.
There are also cultural performances from the host country. It has often been a venue for activists to demonstrate because a large proportion of delegates typically attend the Opening session.
The Closing session is held on the last day of the Conference right after the Rapporteur reports. The Closing session typically involves a brief summation of the week's activities and is a call to action to inspire delegates once they leave the Conference. Again it is tradition that a representative of people living with HIV speaks at the closing session.
Resources
AIDS 2006 Opening description, speaker list and audio file
AIDS 2006 Opening video, transcript and podcast
AIDS 2006 Closing description, speaker list and audio file
AIDS 2006 Closing video, transcript or podcast
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