United Nations AIDS Session: Email Input Sought
Civil society throughout the world (including nonprofits and businesses, especially in developing countries) has been invited to participate in a United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV and AIDS, June 25-27, 2001. For most organizations it will be difficult to participate in person, but they can join a special email discussion forum set up to hear information and views in preparation for the official meeting. The best time to join the email discussion is now, because important preliminary meetings will take place at the end of February.* For more information about the United Nations special session see http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp; also see http://www.hdnet.org (Health and Development Networks, which "has been commissioned by UNAIDS to help ensure that NGO and community voices are channeled, in a transparent way, into the UN General Assembly special session on HIV/AIDS").
* One possible way to participate in person is through the official delegation of your government. Also, some nonprofit organizations already have official status at the United Nations, and your group might be able to work through them.
* To join the online discussion group at any time, send an email to: break-the-silence@hdnet.org The best time for participation may be February, since a meeting to organize the agenda will take place later this month.
Comment
We have heard unofficially that although the United Nations session itself is in June, the content is likely to be mostly set by then, so the most important times for participation will be earlier, especially before February 26 - March 2, and April 23 - 27, which are informal consultations for government delegates. These meetings will take place in New York, and civil society organizations might or might not be able to address the delegates.
For most organizations, the email discussion group will be the most accessible way to participate.
