UNAIDS: The First 10 Years

Chapter 5133The AIDS red ribbonglowing in neon onthe UN headquartersduring the UNGASSsymbolized the new levelof political commitmentto combating theepidemic.UNAIDS/R.Bowmancomes out of it is much needed clarity on what … needs to be done. It is the commonsong-sheet of the international community”.Fréchette continued: “I am a strong believer in the importance of targets, quantifiabletargets . . . they are a way of keeping your feet to the fire, of giving you a way to measurewhether what you’re doing is making a difference. I think UNGASS was very importantin that respect . . . UNGASS is a good illustration of what the UN’s role is . . . it can helpwith technical capacity, it can help in a very practical way at country level, but this morestrategic mobilization of the international community is a vital role of the UN . . . it shouldnever be underestimated”.The aim of UNGASS was to come up with a Declaration that all heads of state would committo, producing a powerful and unique global and national response to the epidemic. Inevitably,there were major disagreements between states (and civil society), in particular about themore sensitive issues such as prevention for sex workers and gay men. Cravero recalls the allnightsessions spent debating the finer but essential points of the Declaration. She said thatsome activists were very critical of the Declaration without an adequate understanding of theprocess and the barriers, such as cultural and religious sensitivities, that needed to be carefullynegotiated.Although prevention continued to be seen and identified as the mainstay of the global AIDSresponse at UNGASS, many heated debates erupted on the topic of AIDS drugs and theirstrategic place in the fight against the pandemic. The Rio Group, a unified negotiating block atUNGASS comprised of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama,Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, provided a strong voice advocating for greater accessto affordable drugs. The donors, except for France and Luxemburg, opposed this position.