AIDS turned 25 years old this June, and while its incidence is slowing
down globally, new infections continue to increase in certain regions
and countries. It seems that the will of the disease is stronger than
efforts to stop it.
In 2001, governments met at a United Nations special session to draw up commitments on concerted efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. It pushed countries to take the disease more seriously by drafting a detailed plan with specific targets. Global funding to combat the epidemic soared from USD1.6 billion in 2001 to USD8.3 billion in 2005.

However, groups working to combat AIDS fear that the world is moving backwards. A UN meeting last 31 May to 2 June 2006 aimed to review progress based on the 2001 plan of action and to set a clear path to
address the new realities and needs in the response to AIDS revealed that countries backtracked on their 2001 commitments.

The Political Declaration that came out of the meeting lacked commitments to hard targets on funding, prevention, care, and treatment of the disease. It did not specify when the implementation of the 2001
commitments will begin and it did not set new global targets. It likewise rejected to acknowledge that some of todays fastest growing epidemics are happening among drug users, sex workers, and men who have sex with men, and did not have any mention about these groups of people.

International civil society groups proclaimed the meeting a failure, calling the Political Declaration pathetically weak. Sisonke Msimang, spokesperson for the Open Society Initiative for South Africa, reflects the sentiments of many activists who participated in the meeting when she declared: The final outcome document of the high level meeting is unacceptable. It is not a particularly useful document. Remarkably, at this stage in the global epidemic, the Declaration does not set targets for treatment. Without targets, the Political Declaration is not worth the many pieces of paper it will be printed on in many languages. Targets provide political pressure and without them, most governments simply dont move.

Governments have played a political game in the meeting, according to activists. Predictably, it was the United States government which killed the prospects for a strong declaration. Aside from working on
eliminating commitments on targets for funding and treatment, the US moved time and again to weaken the language on HIV/AIDS prevention and trade agreements throughout the negotiations.

Its death by diplomacyhour after hour, my government fought for its own selfish interests rather than for the lives of millions dying needlessly around the globe, said Eric Sawyer, veteran activist and
25-year HIV/AIDS survivor. The US also insisted during the negotiations that any mention of condoms be matched by mentions of abstinence and faithfulness. It likewise supported the Organisation of Islamic
Conference (OIC)the UN bloc which represents Muslim countriesin its vehement opposition to the mention in the declaration of sex workers, men who have sex with men, and drug users.

Sadly too, in what activists call a surprising turn of events and a remarkable display of bad faith, African member states reneged on their strong commitments on HIV/AIDS, contained in the African Common Position which was endorsed by the African Union just three weeks before the UN meeting. The African Common Position outlines clear targets and timeframes for fighting AIDS, but bureaucrats and officials who attended the UN, led by African bloc negotiator Gabon, failed to negotiate based on the Position. The continent that is most ravaged by HIV/AIDS has demonstrated a complete lack of leadership. It is a sad, sad day as Africa was represented by such poor leadership.

Nevertheless, there were a few significant wins for rights activists in the meeting. These were the inclusion in the Political Declaration of strong commitments on womens human rights, and the acknowledgment of the role of boys and men in achieving gender equality which was supported by all governments except Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Pakistan, the US, and a number of African countries, including Egypt and Gabon.

Sources:

Emails from the International Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition (ISRRC) e-list:

International Civil Society Denounce UN Meeting on AIDS as a Failure (press advisory signed by various NGOs). 2 June 2006.

International Civil Society Warns High-Level UN Review on AIDS Could be Headed for Failure: New U AIDS Declaration Could Weaken Existing Global AIDS Commitment. 1 June 2006.

African Negotiators Lobby in Bad Faith at UN Meeting(press release issued by the African Civil Society Coalition on AIDS). 2 June 2006.

 From Sisonke Msimang. forwarded by Jodi Jacobson. 1 June 2006. Africas Bad Faith Negotiations.

 From Sisonke Msimang forwarded by Jodi Jacobson. 2 June 2006. Africas Failure to Act.

United Nations. Political Declaration. (Review of the progress achieved in realizing the targets set out in the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS on 31 May and 1 June 2006 and the High-Level Meeting on 2 June 2006). 2 June 2006.

Boseley, Sarah. 31 May 2006. AIDS pandemic spreading to every corner of the Globe, Says UN in The Guardian. Downloaded 6 June 2006 from <http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329492776-106925,00.html>

MacAskill, Ewan. 2 June 2006. US Blocking International Deal on Fighting AIDS in The Guardian. Downloaded 6 June 2006 from <http://www.guardian.co.uk/aids/story/0,,1788649,00.html#article_continue>

Sturcke, James and Agencies. 30 May 2006. India had most AIDS infections in The Guardian. Downloaded 6 June 2006 from <http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329492736-106925,00.html>

FYI: HIV/AIDS STATS

38.6 M  number of people living with AIDS
17 M  women living with AIDS, almost half of the total
24.5 M  AIDS sufferers in Africa, almost three fourths of the total
less than 50%  no. of infected who have access to medicines for AIDS
treatment
2.8 B  AIDS deaths in 2005 alone
Source: UNAIDS, 2006