Thank you letter to the President of the General Assembly

Click here to see who has signed on to support this letter

His Excellency Jan Eliasson

President of the General Assembly

United Nations

New York, NY

USA

Dear Mr. President,

On behalf of the Civil Society Task Force for the 2006 High Level Meeting on AIDS and many more civil society participants present at the recent meeting in New York, we would like to express our gratitude for the unique inclusion and the organisation of the Civil Society Hearing: “ Keeping the Promise; The People Speak” on May 31.

This was a landmark UN Meeting on AIDS, not only for its demonstration of the level of political engagement in the issue, but also for the level of inclusion of civil society viewpoints.By inviting this level of representation from civil society, you have reaffirmed the role of agencies and groups outside of government in informing and energising the response to the epidemic. This process furthered civil society gaining the political literacy required to provide a counterpoint to international political processes, and strengthened our ability to engage at national, regional and global level with renewed confidence and commitment.

You have set an extremely important example by your own strong personal and professional commitment to the greater participation of people living with HIV and AIDS.The presence and prominence given to civil society and people living with HIV was unprecedented.For your part in this, too, you have our thanks.However, we also need to work together to overcome unjust immigration restrictions for positive people in the US and wherever else they exist, be stronger advocates for the participation of positive people on national delegations, in civil society as a whole and continue to promote and expand the application of the GIPA principle.

The Civil Society Hearing allowed the diversity, energy, passion and sense of urgency that we bring to the global response to be visible to and influential upon member states.We thank you for providing the platform for civil society to be heard. In future meetings on AIDS within the General Assembly, we look forward to working with the UN to ensure that the inputs from civil society can be even more meaningfully included.

Now that the meeting in New York is over, our work continues at the country level. Despite our disappointment in some aspects of the Declaration, we will seek to ensure that the political statement articulated in the High Level Meeting will be translated into a reality with measurable targets. This political statement will provide a crucial reference for groups to measure the performance of their own national leaders. None of the points it contains will go forgotten as we work to hold AIDS policymakers accountable. We look forward to reconvening in the General Assembly for the next High Level Review Meeting on AIDS, and once again offering our perspectives on the progress being made to overcome this global pandemic.

Sincerely yours,

Civil Society Task Force for the 2006 High Level Meeting on AIDS

A.S.O.S, Action Santé Organisation Secours/Health Action Relief Organisation. Madagascar

ABIA- Associação Brasileira Interdisciplinar de AIDS- Brazil

Accion Internacional para la Salud LAC

ACCSI

ACT UP HELLAS

Action against AIDS Germany

Action Familiale, Mauritius

Action Health Incorporated (AHI)

Advocates for Youth

African Care and Development Initiatinve (ACDI)-Uganda

African Services Committee

AfriCASO

AGIHAS (Atbalsta Grupa Inficetajiem ar HIV un AIDS Slimniekiem) - Latvia

Aibai Culture and EducationCenter(ACEC)

AID Africa Concern

AID FOR AIDS International

AIDES, France

AIDS ALGERIE NGO

AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW)

AIDS Society of Asia and the Pacific (ASAP)

AIDS Task Force, AfricaJapan Forum

AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC)

ALL Ukrainian Network of PLWH, Ukraine

Alternative Law Research & Development Center, Inc. (ALTERLAW), Republic of Philippines

ANERELA+

APCASO

APROASE A.C., Mexico

ARAS - Romanian Association Against AIDS

Armenian National AIDS Foundation

Artistes In Direct Support

ARUDMO (A' Rural Development Movement)

ARUNA, India

Associação Abraço, Portugal

Association des Amis Solicaires MERO (AASM), Cameroon

Association "Tanadgoma"- Center for Information and Counseling, Georgia

Bade Victoire Côte d’Ivoire

BAOBAB for Women's Human Rights, Nigeria

Bouaké Eveil et de la société civile ivoirienne

CARE Foundation, India

CARE International

Catholic Relief Services

Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) - USA

Center for Women's Global Leadership (CWGL)

Central and Eastern European Harm Reduction Network

Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Kenya)

Changemaker (Norwegian Youth NGO)

Charities Aid Foundation, Russian Representative Office

China/Information Clearinghouse for Chinese Gay and Lesbian(ICCGL)

CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality, The Netherlands

Christian Council of Tanzania

Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK)

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC)

Christian Social Services Commission, Tanzania

Church of Sweden

Church World Service

Coalición Internacional de Activistas en Tratamientos

Coalition PLWHA of Moldova

COLIBRI, Bafoussam-Cameroon

Colombian network of PLWH – RECOLVIH

Community Life Project (CLP), Nigeria

Community Welfare Initiative, Uganda

Conseil National des Eglises du Burundi

Credinta & Coplarie pentru toti ,Moldova

Deutche AIDS-Hilfe e.V.

Development Initiative for Community Enhancement (DICE) Nigeria

Dialogai, Geneva, Switzerland

East European and Central Asian UNION of PLWH Organisations

EATG (European AIDS Treatment Group)

Economic,Environmental, Educational & Large-scale Development (YIELD), Lagos, Nigeria

Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Empower India

Equal to Equal, Kazakhstan

Estonian PLWH Network-Estonia

Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief (EFICOR)

Family Care International

Family Health International

Federation of Sports Medicine of Kyrgyzstan

Fondation Djigui la Grande Esperance Cote d’Ivoire

Foresight Generation Club, Ghana

Foster Parents Plan Canada

Foundation for Integrative AIDS Research (FIAR), Brooklyn, NY, USA

FRIENDS (Fellows for Reconstruction, Initiative, Education, Nourishment & Development of the Society), Varanasi, India

Fundação Portuguesa "a Comunidade Contra a SIDA"

Fundación REDVIHDA+, Bolivia

GAT - Grupo Português de Activistas sobre Tratamentos de VIH/SIDA

Ghana Healthy Life International

Global Harmony, India

Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+)

Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS

Grameen Swapna,Bangladesh

Grupo Génesis Panamá Positivo

Grupo Intrapostmuros DDHH ( GLTTTB - VIH/SIDA - SALUD - DDHHH)

Grupo M&V Ciudadana en SIDA, Honduras

Gujarat AIDS Awareness and Prevention (GAP) unit of ISRCDE

Guli Surkh - Tadjikistan

Guyana Human Rights Association

Health Action International - Europe

H.E.R.A.-Health Education and Research, Macedonia

He Intends Victory, United States

Help Age International

Himalayan Social Welfare Organization

HIV/AIDS at the Work Place Project Liberia 2003 Project Number 56

HIV AIDS Support Organisation of Seychelles (HASO)

HIV-Foundation / Finnish AIDS-Council

Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI)- Ghana Program

Hope Foundation-Guyana. S.A

Humane Health Organization Onitsha, Nigeria

Hungarian Civil Liberties Union - HCLU

Indian Network of NGOs on HIV/AIDS (INN)

Indigenous Tabernacle Council of Kenya

Inter Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK)

Interfaith HIV/AIDS Coalition of Nigeria

International AIDS Society

International AIDS Vaccine Initiative

International Council of AIDS Service Organizations – ICASO

International NGO (INGO) Forum for HIV and AIDS in Malawi

International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)

International Presentation Association Sisters of the Presentation

International Voluntary Organisation for Women, Education and Development

International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC)

Inter-Religious Council of Uganda

Ishonch va Hayot, Uzbekistan

Ishtar Men who have Sex with Men

Jerusalem AIDS Project, Israel

Jerusalem Children and Community Development Organization (JeCCDO)

Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria

Kara Counselling and Training Trust

KazakhstanUnion of PLWH – Kazakhstan

Kenya Episcopal Conference-Catholic Secretariat

Kenya National Union of Networks and Coalitions of People Living With HIV/AIDS (KENUNECO+)

Kenya Network of HIV Positive Teachers [KENEPOTE]

Kiambu United Against Drugs&HIV/AIDS, Kenya

Kikopey Diatomite Home Based Care Self Help Group

LACCASO

Let’s Talk, Let's Test Foundation

Liberia Network of AIDS Service Organization (LINASO)

Maasai AIDSAwareness Programme (MAAP)

Mangrove Support Group

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation, LUKMEF-Cameroon

Maryknoll AIDS Task Force,US

Media Against AIDS (Liberia) Inc.

Middle East Regional Network on AIDS (MERNA), Jerusalem

Movimiento Latinoaméricano y del Caribe de Mujeres Positivas (MLCM+)

MTHUZI DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, Inc

National Forum of People living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda ( NAFOPHANU)

National Youth Network on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NYNETHA)

Nekeki Community Based Health Project, Kenya

Net Work Of Young People Living With HIV/AIDS In Nigeria

NETWORK OF ASIA PACIFIC YOUTH
Network Of PLWAs in Nigeria [NEPWHAN]

Network of Social NGOs from Moldova

New Light AIDS Control Society, Pakistan

Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS (NIBUCAA), Lagos

NorwegianChurch Aid

Nurses Across the Borders Humanitarian Initiative

Oxygen Research and Development Forum (ORDF), Nepal

Paneka Animaestudio, Panama/Spain

Panos Institute

Pastoral Ecomenica VIH-SIDA, Argentina

People's Action for Social Service, India

PLWHA Association in Albania

Population Caring Organization (PCO), Ghana

Positive initiative (Civil charity fund), Kyrgyzstan

Positive Life - Lithuania

Positive Malaysian Treatment Access & Advocacy Group (MTAAG+)

Povernennya, Ukraine

Public Health and Social Development Foundation "FOCUS-MEDIA"

Public Organization of AIDS control - Azerbaijan

Red de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales de Latinoamérica y el Caribe /RedTraSex

REDBOL

Responsables de la Red IntrapostmurosDDHH Internacional

RESULTS Canada

SAfAIDS ( Southern Africa AIDS Information Dissemination Services)

Safe Motherhood Ladies Association, Nigeria

Salud Integral para la Mujer, A.C. (SIPAM-México)

Sampada Grameen Mahila Sanstha {SANGRAM}.

Saratov Oblast Public Fund «Megapolis»

Saving Lives Through Alternate Options (SLAO), United States

SCARJOV

Sensoa

Shen Yang Ai ZhiYuanZHuCenter for Health and Education

Sima Community Based Organization, Kitale-Kenya

SISAL, Madagascar

Sister rahab n. njuguna, Itcklimuru, Nairobi, Kenya

SNV(Netherlands Development Organization)-Kenya

Social Support Foundation, Ghana

Society For HIV/AIDS and Lifeline Operation in Manipur (SHALOM)

Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries

SOMA, India

Southern African Network Of AIDS Service Organizations (SANASO)

St. Francis Community Developers, Guyana

Stop AIDS In Liberia (SAIL)

Strategies for Hope Trust, UK

Sub-Saharan Africa Family Enrichment (SAFE)

Swaziland National Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (SWANNEPHA)

Swaziland Business Coalition against HIV/AIDS

Tanzania Youth Aware Trust Fund (TAYOA)

TB Alert

The Collective for Orphan Care and Education

The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS

The Leadership Forum, Tanzania

The Network of Guyanese Living with and affected by HIV/AIDS

The River Fund, Sebastian, FLUSA

Trinidad and Tobago HIV/AIDS Alliance

Ujamaa Maji Safi Women Group, Kenya

UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDS

United Christians Campaigning Against AIDS (UCCA - AIDS)

United Church of Christ , Wider Church Ministries

United Nations Association in Canada

Vanguardia Mexicana de Personas Afectadas por el VIH/SIDA (VANMPAVIH - México)

VIVAT International

WhyAfrica

Women & AIDS Support Network (WASN)

Women`s Employment Innovative Center (WEIC), Georgia

Women's Health, Education & Development(WHED), Nigeria

World AIDS Campaign

World Association for Christian Communication

World Council of Churches

World Learning

World Population Foundation

World Vision International

World YWCA

YouAct – European Youth Network on Sexual and Reproductive Rights

Youth Coalition

Youth Watch, Kampala, Uganda

Yugoslav Youth Association against AIDS - JAZAS

Zenab For Women In Development / Sudan

Zonta International