<br><br>
<div class="gmail_quote"><br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Mary Ann Torres</b> <span dir="ltr"><a href="mailto:maryannt@icaso.org">maryannt@icaso.org</a></span><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="#3366ff" size="3" face="Arial"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #3366ff; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Please distribute widely</span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" size="3" face="Arial"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">AIDS ADVOCACY ALERT</span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Prepared by the International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)</span></font></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" size="5" face="Arial"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Monitoring the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS </span></font></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="#231f20" size="4" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; COLOR: #231f20; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Take Action Now: Be involved! Be heard!</span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="#231f20" size="4" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; COLOR: #231f20; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Country Progress reports to be submitted to UNAIDS by March 31, 2010</span></font></b></p>

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<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; COLOR: #231f20; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">March 2010</span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; COLOR: #231f20; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">The process to review and report on progress on the implementation of the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS is underway. <b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Countries need to send their progress reports to UNAIDS by March 31, 2010.</span></b></span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; COLOR: #231f20; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; COLOR: #231f20; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">It is imperative that community groups start their engagement now, if they have not already done so.</span></font></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; COLOR: #231f20; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; COLOR: #231f20; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">The process to review progress on the implementation of the DoC is an opportunity to measure the effectiveness of national AIDS responses. Community sector groups, and particularly key populations, are often not adequately involved, or are excluded altogether. </span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; COLOR: #231f20; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; COLOR: #231f20; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">Check with your National AIDS Authority where they are in the review and reporting process and get involved.</span></font></p>

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<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; COLOR: #231f20; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">There are 5 key actions that community sector groups can <b><u><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">take now</span></u></b> to ensure meaningful involvement in all aspects of the 2010 UNGASS review and reporting process:</span></font></p>

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<li style="COLOR: #231f20" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">Mobilize your community sector colleagues</span></font> <font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"></span></font></li>

<li style="COLOR: #231f20" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">Request that UNAIDS facilitate an inclusive and participatory process among all stakeholders</span></font> <font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"></span></font></li>

<li style="COLOR: #231f20" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">Review all relevant documents</span></font> <font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"></span></font></li>

<li style="COLOR: #231f20" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">Contact the National AIDS Program and ask how they have involved or plan to involve the community sector in the reporting process</span></font> <font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"></span></font></li>

<li style="COLOR: #231f20" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Share all the information you find about these processes and the outcomes with community partner</span></font> <font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"></span></font></li>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; COLOR: #231f20; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"> </span></font><font color="#231f20" size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; COLOR: #231f20; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">Read the full Advocacy Alert at </span></font><font face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri"><a title="http://www.icaso.org/publications/2010/aa_2010ungass.pdf" href="http://www.icaso.org/publications/2010/aa_2010ungass.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.icaso.org/publications/2010/aa_2010ungass.pdf</a></span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </span></font><font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Contact ICASO at <a title="mailto:universalaccess2010@icaso.org" href="mailto:universalaccess2010@icaso.org" target="_blank">universalaccess2010@icaso.org</a> for more information and to share your experiences</span></font></p>

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