UNAIDS: The First 10 Years

Chapter 9Coalition building253As this account has shown, another of UNAIDS’ key priorities has been to work in partnershipwith a wide range of players in recognition of the fact that AIDS is more than just ahealth problem.In 1997, UNAIDS stimulated the establishment of the Global Business Coalition on AIDS(formerly the Global Business Council on AIDS) which has grown to a membership of morethan 200 companies. The UNAIDS Secretariat and the International Labour Organizationhave encouraged the business sector to recognize the impact of AIDS; it is now on theagenda of the World Economic Forum through its Global Health Initiative. In countrieswhere adult HIV prevalence exceeds 20%, a majority of companies (58%) do have a writtenHIV policy. ILO has provided technical assistance on workplace policies and programmesin more than 25 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean 17 . UNAIDS hasalso supported the launching of national business AIDS coalitions in numerous countriesand regional business coalitions in most regions such as the Pan-Caribbean BusinessForum on AIDS.ILO and the World AIDS Campaign also work closely with trade unions on AIDS issues; forexample, with UNDP it brought together trade unions in Ukraine to devise strategies thatwould mobilize workers in promoting workplace programmes.Religious and faith-based organizations have been closely involved in the AIDS responsesince the early days of the epidemic. UNAIDS has, over the past 10 years, worked withmany faith-based organizations, religious leaders and theologians – Buddhist, Christian,Hindu and Muslim. Although there are clearly differences in attitude – one of the mostobvious being the use of condoms – careful diplomacy and attention to theologicaldiscourse, as well as practical actions, have led to good working relationships. In manycountries, religious leaders are closely involved in policy and programmatic work.In 2003, for example, Calle Almedal, UNAIDS Senior Adviser on Partnerships Development,organized a workshop for Christian academic theologians in Windhoek, Namibia. Heworked with them to produce a document that sets out a Christian perspective on HIVrelated stigma and discrimination and thousands of copies were eventually distributed –in English, French, Spanish and Russian.The former Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Louise Fréchette, commended UNAIDSfor being “an innovative organization that has not hesitated to reach out to a variety17UNAIDS (2005).