As civil society participants to the 2008 High Level Meeting on AIDS, 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.

We urge governments to fulfil their commitment, human rights obligations and ensure the implementation of universal access to the treatment, prevention, and care for all by 2010. We raise the attention of governments, the UN system and all stakeholders to the following issues:

Universal access by 2010 requires comprehensive, non-discriminatory access to prevention, treatment, care and support for all people affected by HIV in high and low prevalence countries, including women, girls, children, young people, transgender, men who have sex with men, sex workers, migrants, prisoners and those who are institutionalized, older people, lesbians, bisexuals, disabled people, care givers, people who use drugs, indigenous people and other groups marginalized because of their ethnicity, religion, legal and economic status, or gender identity, regardless of their geographic location (rural/urban). Universal access includes comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and treatment for all co-infections, including TB.

Human rights must be at the centre of all responses to HIV. 

The criminalization of HIV transmission and population behaviours marginalizes the vulnerable and affected groups (mentioned above).  It is a violation of human rights and is a barrier to accessing prevention, treatment, care and support. All laws criminalizing transmission and behaviours 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.

It is critical that women’s, especially young women and girls’, human rights are central to the goals of halting this pandemic. 

The parallel 2009 High Level Meeting on Drugs must reflect commitment to public health and human rights as championed by the High Level Meeting on AIDS.

Resourcing the response to HIV/AIDS.  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 fulfil their commitment of contributing 0.7 percent of their gross national product to official development assistance.  In order to achieve universal access by 2010, 42 billion USD is needed. There should be sufficient support for the development of long-term solutions including research, vaccines and microbicides.

Access to treatment: Countries should be enabled to use the full safeguards enshrined in the TRIPS agreement and confirmed in the Doha declaration of 2004, such as compulsory licensing. The impact of international trade agreements needs to be evaluated further, as set out in the 2001 UNGASS Declaration of Commitment (para 26).

Involvement of Civil Society: Greater involvement of civil society has been identified by the UN as a critical strategy to combat AIDS. In a resolution tabled late in 2007, civil society was specifically encouraged to be involved in this year's high-level meeting.  The involvement of civil society in official national delegations must be effective, not just tokenistic.

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 (as listed above), in country level and international processes.

Accountability: Many countries have failed to report the realities on the ground to this assembly, almost forty countries did not report at all. There is a need to address the discrepancies between the official country reports and the civil society reports, by strengthening accountability mechanisms at all levels. Indicators against which reports are prepared must include qualitative dimensions, and governments should report data disaggregated by age, gender and sub-population (as a minimum requirement).

We call on UNAIDS to adequately and effectively monitor and evaluate the national response with full participation of all civil society, particularly people living with HIV.

We have come to this high level meeting to demand your partnership and renewed commitment to achieving the goals set at the UNGASS 2001 and the high level meeting in 2006. Real partnership between donors, governments, civil society, UN agencies and affected populations requires a balance of power in making decision. Only through genuine partnership can we overcome the challenges to and achieve universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support for all people by 2010.

This statement supports further recommendations from the women’s caucus statement “Women Demand Action and Accountability Now!” and the Youth caucus statement. It draws on the positions developed by each regional caucus for the High Level Meeting on AIDS.

Organizations supporting the Civil Society Declaration:

1 ABRASGAY – Brazil
2. ACCSI – Venezuela
3. ACF – El Salvador
4. Action Against AIDS Germany – Germany
5. Action Aid International
6. Africa Japan Forum
7. African HIV Policy Network
8. Aid for AIDS International
9. Aid for AIDS Peru  
10. AIDS Action Foundation
11. AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa
12. Aids for AIDS – Peru
13. Alliance Against AIDS – Belize
14. Amigos Contra el SIDA – Mexico
15. Amigos Siempre Amigos – Dominican Republic
16. Amnesty International
17. ASEPO-Uruguay 
18. Association IDEI – Guatemala
19. Association of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria – Nigeria
20. Athena Network
21. Ave de Mexico – Mexico
22. Bolivia IPH – Bolivia
23. Calcsicova – Spain
24. Cambodian Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS – Cambodia
25. CAPPSIDA – Mexico
26. Caribbean Regional Network, Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago
27. Carribean Vulnerable Communities (CVC)
28. Coalition of Asia Pacific Regional Network on HIV/AIDS
29. Coalition Ecuatoriana de Puus
30. COASE Argentina
31. Colectivo Sol – Mexico
32. Colectivo TTT – Honduras
33. Consultation of Investment in Health Promotion – Vietnam
34. EANNASO
35. Family Planning Association of Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago
36. FEIM
37. IWAC
38. Foundation for AIDS Rights – Thailand
39. Fundacion Huesped – Argentina  
40. GAPA-SP – Brazil
41. GAPA-RS – Brazil
42. Gestos – Brazil
43. Group Woman Argentina Obsevatorio de Prisiones – Argentina
44. Guyana Human Rights Association – Guyana
45. Help Age International
46. IDH – Bolivia
47. India HIV/AIDS Alliance – India
48. Intercambios Asociacion Civil- Argentina
49. International Coalition of AIDS and Development (ICAD)
50. International Council of AIDS Service Organisations (ICASO)
51. International Treatment Preparedness Coalition
52. International of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW)
53. Intilla.Asociacion Civil – Argentina
54. International Women’s Health Coalition
55. Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASA) – Jamaica
56. Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, Bissexuals and Gays (JFLAG) – Jamaica
57. Janghamintia Iyegor
58. La Manta de Mexico A.C. – Mexico
59. LACCASO – Latin America and the Caribbean Council of AIDS Services Organizations
60. Lesotho Network of People Living wit HIV/AIDS – Lesotho
61 International Council of AIDS Service Organization (ICASO)
62. Mexico Cappsida – Mexico
63. MGM – Brazil
64. Mongolian Family Welfare Association – Mongolia
65. Mosaic Training, Service and Healing Coalition for Women – South Africa
66. Movimiento Latino Americano y del Caribe de Mujeres Positivas
67. Mujeres Unidas por la Saludad (MUSAS) – Venezula
68. MYSU – Uruguay
69. Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS – Brazil
70. NSWP
71. Pastoral Ecumenical Alliance for HIV – Argentina
72. Positive Women Inc. – New Zealand
73. Raks Thai Foundation – Thailand
74. RecTraxec LAC
75. Red 2002
76. Red Bonarense de PVVS – Argentina
77. Red de PVVS de Mar del Plata – Argentina
78. RedLACTRANS – Latin America and the Caribbean
79. REDSIDA A.C. – Mexico
80. SAATHI – India
81. Samaksha       
82. Scarjov/ Angola – Angola
83. Simao Cacumba Faria – Angola
84. SWAPOL
85. TANEPHA
86. Tenemos Sida 
87. Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS – Thailand
88. Thai NGO Coalition on AIDS
89. The Women’s Collective – United States
90. Treatment Action Campaign – South Africa
91. United and Strong Inc St Lucia MSM – St Lucia
92. UNYPA – Uganda Network of Young People Living with HIV/AIDS
93. Vivir Participacion, Incidencia y Transparencia, AC – Mexico
94. VSO – UK
95. World Vision International
96. Youth Coalition – Canada
97. Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights
98. Youth Empowerment Against HIV/AIDS – Australia
99. Youth Network on HIV/AIDS – Thailand