Press Release
"We are a bald tire slipping
on ice"
Civil Society Reactions to UN AIDS Review
New York , June 13, 2008
Over 500 representatives from civil society organizations participated in the United Nations (UN) High Level Meeting on AIDS concluding on June 12, 2008. The following are some of the collective statements and individual reactions to the meeting:
Individual reactions
“We are a bald tire slipping on ice, and we have to put some treads on our tires so we can move forward. When I come here, I hear the same thing from governments. Civil society have said some pretty strong things, but I have this sense that we’ve said it all. Somehow we all have to find new and creative ways to raise the level of commitment and, most of all, action.” Susan Weissert, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
“The business sector – a non-traditional partner in
some respects – clearly demonstrated during the high level meeting
that it brings a new and diverse set of skills and attributes to the discussion
on AIDS programming. This is an added value.” Neeraj Mistry, Global
Business coalition on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
“There has to be greater urgency, to really turn the tide for
women. The most effective way is to significantly increase resources for gender-sensitive
and human rights based prevention, treatment, care and support – for
both epidemics – violence against women and HIV and AIDS .” Alessandra
Nilo, GESTOS, Brasil, a member of the Women Won’t Wait Campaign
"We have heard millions of words and hundreds of speakers in these three
days — all agree that the response to HIV is urgent, and shamefully that
we are falling behind. All governments must do more and do better, turning
the words in to actions. And each and every citizen is called to hold their
government accountable." Linda Hartke, Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance
“As Africans we are deeply concerned that the representation and participation
of African leaders in the issue centered debates at the High Level Meeting
was weak“, said Olayide Akanni of Journalists Against AIDS Nigeria. “As
African civil society, we demand that our government leaders redouble their
efforts, especially in the area of prevention, to achieve Universal Access
by 2010. In addition, African leaders must fulfill the 2001 Abuja Declaration
promising 15% of national budgets for HIV, TB, malaria, and other related diseases”.
“After the UN meetings in 2001 and 2006 I felt a lot of hope that
there was so much new information and a plan of action. But now I feel
completely disappointed. There has been nothing new. I don’t see
a concrete proposal to change this situation that we are still in.” Rev.
Lisandro Orlov, Pastoral Ecumenica VIH-SIDA, Argentina
“The longer-term impact of this meeting for civil society is the connections
made, and the fact that there is a sense of us being better represented at
the UN level and being heard.” Sonal Metha, the International HIV/AIDS
Alliance in India
Civil Society Declaration
Over 100 organizations have signed onto a civil society declaration on
the High Level Meeting on AIDS. Excerpts include:
“We came here to review progress in implementing the
2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the 2006 Political Declaration
on HIV/AIDS. We were disappointed that few heads of state chose to attend this
meeting and many governments, from both resource-rich and resource-poor countries,
failed to report the reality on the ground.
“None of the UNGASS goals were achieved in 2003 or 2005, despite the
efforts of some governments and key stakeholders. We are deeply concerned that
given the current rate of progress, due to a lack of commitment and the ever-increasing
funding gap, universal access will not be achieved by 2010, perpetuating the
cycle of underdevelopment and poverty.”
“The criminalization of HIV transmission and population behaviors marginalizes
the vulnerable and affected groups. It is a violation of human rights
and is a barrier to accessing prevention, treatment, care and support. All
laws criminalizing transmission and behaviors must be abolished. We urge all
governments to abandon travel restrictions that block people living with HIV/AIDS
to move freely across the world, as well as all coercive measures such as mandatory
testing and deportation.
“We are concerned about the shift of financial priorities from AIDS to
other issues, and the lack of transparency and meaningful participation of
civil society in decisions about funding allocation and priorities. Therefore
we urge the governments of high-income countries, especially the G8, to fulfill
their commitment of contributing 0.7 percent of their gross national product
to official development assistance.”
“We join the three excluded organizations; Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe,
Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays, and the Egyptian Initiative
for Personal Rights; from this year’s meeting in appealing
to the UN General Assembly to ensure that the rhetoric of "universal access" is
matched with participation and inclusion of all voices. It is necessary to
develop a mechanism to monitor accountability that ensures meaningful participation
of civil society, especially people living with HIV and marginalized groups,
in country level and international processes.”
The full text of the declaration is available at: http://www.ua2010.org/en/UNGASS/Press-Centre
Women demand action and accountability
Sixty organizations as of June 11, signed a statement, Women
Want Action and Accountability Now!: "We, women's groups
(including women living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and young women)
present here at the High Level Meeting on AIDS, urge national governments
and the UN szstem to keep their promises to women and girls who continue
to be at an alarming risk of HIV infrection and of receiving inadequate
prevention, treatement, care and support as a resulto fo persisiting social,
cultural and economic subordination, structural inequalities, as well
as pervasive violence in their homes, communities, schools, workplaces,
streets, markets, police stations, hopsital, and situations of institutional
confinement."
"IN all aspects of national, regional and global AIDS responses, it is essential to ensure that the voiuces and experience of people living with HIV and AIDS - especially women and girls whose voices are too often silenced - are given prominent position in designing and scaling up the global AIDS response."
"Women ask all government to be accountable to the Declaration of Commitment and the Political Commitment, and to place gender equality and women's empowerment at the center of national AIDS responses by allocating resources, strengthening data collection, and developing and improving means for measuring action and mechanisms for quality meaningful partitipation and leadership of women and girls."
For the full statement, click here
For more information
More information for the media on civil society statements and actions
during the High Level meeting can be found at:
http://www.ua2010.org/en/UNGASS/Press-Centre