The 2006 follow-up meeting on the outcome of the
twenty-sixth special session: implementation of the Declaration
of Commitment on HIV/AIDS took place from 31 May - 2
June at the United Nations in New York, USA. (Information
Note 2)
This year, the Secretary-General presented the report to the General Assembly on progress
made until the end of 2005, a year when targets in the Declaration
were due. The main focus of the meeting was to review progress
achieved in realizing the commitments set out in the Declaration of
Commitment and to:
review progress in implementing the 2001 Declaration of
Commitment on HIV/AIDS, focusing on both constraints and
opportunities to full implementation;
consider recommendations on how the targets set in the
Declaration may be reached, including through the "towards
universal access processes" and to
renew political commitment.
The meeting involved all sectors of the
international community, governments, civil society and the private
sector. The opportunities provided for civil society organizations
to take part in the meeting was unprecedented.
For the first time, a person living with HIV
addressed the General Assembly plenary, normally reserved for
Member States and UN officials. There was also a civil society
hearing, which provided civil society an opportunity to exchange
views with Member States.
The meeting featured a
series of panel discussions as well as roundtables covering diverse
topics. Building on these discussions, a high- level meeting took place on the third day. This meeting culminated in the
adoption of a political declaration aimed at reaffirming and
expressing recommitment to the full implementation of the
Declaration in the coming years.