Letter to UK G7 Finance Minister

Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP

Chancellor of the Exchequer,

HM Treasury,

1 Horse Guards Road,

London, SW1A 2HQ

16th January 2007

Dear Chancellor

I am writing as Chair of the Stop AIDS Campaign – a coalition of over 90 UK-based NGOs and Trade Unions – regarding the upcoming G8 Finance Ministers Meeting in Essen, Germany, and its role in fulfilling previous G8 commitments on expanding HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

At the Gleneagles Summit in July 2005, G8 leaders promised to "develop and implement a package for HIV prevention, treatment and care, with the aim of as close as possible to universal access to treatment for all those who need it by 2010." This promise was made global at the UN World Summit in September 2005, and in June 2006 all UN member states endorsed a commitment to "universal access to comprehensive prevention programmes, treatment, care and support by 2010".

The UK government, NGOs and campaigners across the country all played a crucial role in getting these targets in place. However, we are deeply concerned that 18 months after the first treatment target was agreed, the funding needed to ensure its delivery has yet to be committed. In 2007 alone, $8.1billion is needed to close the funding gap. As a result, over 75% of people, including over 90% of children, who urgently need life-saving HIV treatment, are not receiving it. Last year almost 3 million people died unnecessarily of AIDS-related illnesses.

Growth and responsibility are central themes of Germany’s G8 presidency, and the German Government has announced that the 2010 target will be on the agenda at the G8 summit in June. However, without a funding plan in place, HIV treatment for all will simply not be achieved.

We urge you to work with the German Government and other G8 Finance Ministers to agree a comprehensive funding plan for Universal Access to HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support by 2010. This funding plan should map out how donor countries intend to increase revenue and channel much-needed additional money to fully fund all national targets. As a starting point, funding for universal access must have a prominent place on the agenda at the G8 Finance Ministers meeting in February.

The Stop AIDS Campaign is part of a broader coalition of civil society organisations from across the G8 countries. In the coming weeks our partners will contact your counterparts in Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the USA and Russia with similar demands. Campaigners from across our membership will also be directly lobbying the German Finance Minister, Peer Steinbrueck, asking him to lead negotiations towards a funding plan. The call for a funding plan for universal access clearly represents the broadbased concerns of civil society across the globe, including the millions of people relying on access to life-saving treatment. 2007 represents a critical mid point toward achieving the Universal Access target.

We hope that you and other G8 Finance Ministers will support this initiative and provide a lifeline to people living with HIV & AIDS around the world.

Yours sincerely,

Ken Bluestone

Chair, Stop AIDS Campaign

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