Since 2001, Gestos – HIV+ Communication & Gender – follows the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on AIDS – UNGASS-AIDS.
In 2003, during the National Meeting of AIDS’ NGOs (ENONG) in São Paulo, Gestos was ellected to be part of the UNAIDS Working Group of Brazil in the seat of Civil Society with a proposal of mobilization and monitoring of the UNGASS-AIDS Declaration of Commitment, signed by one hundred and eighty nine countries. The result of this work was the first Fórum UNGASS-AIDS, held in the same year, with the partnership with the NGO Forum of São Paulo. Since then, Brazilian civil society has been an international reference for monitoring UNGASS-AIDS (please see tables below), taking the issue to state and municipal levels in different parts of the country.
The UNGASS-AIDS Forum Brazil is coordinated by GAPA and Gestos.
There are scheduled for 2009 the state forums of Paraiba and Rio Grande do Sul.
Understanding the National UNGASS-AIDS Forums
Forum |
Where and when |
Demands |
Achievements |
I Forum UNGASS-AIDS Brazil |
Recife/PE. September, 2003 |
• Present and discuss the Goals of the Commitment Declaration for HIV and AIDS signed in 2001, at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session. |
• Production of a Political Letter of Civil Society – The Letter of Recife; |
II Forum UNGASS-AIDS Brazil |
Recife/PE. March, 2005 |
• Broaden the knowledge on UNGASS-Aids among the AIDS Movement; |
• Production of a Case Study with the theme: Access to Treatment in Brazil – A Civil Society Perspective, with the following axis: Technological capacity, the performance of Civil Society, Access to treatment by women, Sex Workers, MSM, People deprived of liberty, IDUs and Transvestites and Transsexuals |
III Forum UNGASS-AIDS Brazil |
Curitiba/PR September, 2005 |
• Raise Brazilian civil society participation at the UNGASS-AIDS monitoring process; • Articulate civil society’s agenda for the official revision of UNGASS in 2006 |
• Publication of the Case Study, of which content was incorporated to the official Brazilian government report; |
IV Forum UNGASS-AIDS Brazil |
Recife/PE June, 2007 |
• Plan Brazilian civil society actions for monitoring UNGASS/AIDS in 2007 and 2008; |
• Building of an advocacy agenda with the investigation theme: the Inclusion of Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Actions in the National AIDS Policy • Report incorporated by the Brazilian Government in its Official Report to the United Nations Assembly held in June, 2008 |
V Forum UNGASS-AIDS Brazil |
São Paulo/SP. May 2008 |
• Evaluate the monitoring actions of UNGASS-AIDS developed by civil society in 2007 |
• Building of an agenda to follow up the State Plans of Fighting the Feminization of HIV and AIDS |
Understanding the Regional, State and City UNGASS-AIDS Forums
Forum |
Where and when |
Demands |
Achievements |
I Forum UNGASS-AIDS Maranhão State |
São Luís/MA. 2004. |
• Contribute to community answers facing the monitoring of UNGASS/AIDS Goals and strengthening the National AIDS Movement in the State |
• Perception of a dramatic AIDS panorama in the State, with total chaos in Health and Educational Policies |
I Forum UNGASS-AIDS Pernambuco State |
Recife/PE. December, 2005 |
• Broaden local knowledge on UNGASS-AIDS and discuss how the Declaration’s commitments may influence public policies on HIV/AIDS control at State end City level. |
• Building of a work agenda with action directed at the setting up of the II Forum UNGASS/AIDS Pernambuco; • Setting up of a reference WG to systematize and analyze the proposals related to STD/HIV and AIDS made at the conferences of Health, Women, Human Rights, and children and Adolescents |
II Forum UNGASS-AIDS Maranhão State |
São Luís/MA. 2005 |
• Strengthen community answers against STD/HIV and AIDS |
• Building of monitoring indicators through most vulnerable groups • Advance towards strengthening and politization of AIDS activism in Maranhão; |
I Forum UNGASS-AIDS North and Northeast Regions |
Recife/PE. February, 2006 |
• Raise knowledge of AIDS NGOs and PLWAs Leaderships in the regions on UNGASS-AIDS, TRIPS, international policies and their impact on national policies on AIDS epidemics control and prevention. |
• Production of an Action Plan for 2006 and setting of the participants priorities related to the axis of UNGASS-AIDS. |
II Forum UNGASS/AIDS Pernambuco State |
Recife/PE. December, 2006 |
• Give continuity to the monitoring agenda of the Declaration of Commitment and broaden knowledge on UNGASS/AIDS in the State, under the perspective of following up the epidemics interiorization |
• Aprovação de várias propostas para ação de execução em 2007 pelo GT de Referência do UNGASS-AIDS PE |
III Forum UNGASS/AIDS Maranhão State |
São Luís/MA. 2006. |
• Strengthen civil society participation in Maranhão on the process of monitoring the Declaration of Commitments of UNGASS-AIDS |
• Setting up of a permanent WG with representations from the capital and interior and a more organized Work Plan |
I Forum UNGASS-AIDS São Paulo State |
São Paulo/SP. May, 2008. |
• Report under construction |
• Building of na Action and Monitoring Plan. (Report under construction) |
I Forum UNGASS-AIDS North Region |
Belém/PA. September, 2008 |
• Evaluate UNGASS monitoring actions developed in the region for the past two years • Plan UNGASS monitoring actions for the next two years; |
• Building of a Monitoring Plan to monitor HIV/AIDS Public Policies in the region |
I Forum UNGASS-AIDS Campinas/SP City |
Campinas/SP. November, 2008 |
• Present the Declaration of Commitments to civil society and policy makers of the city |
Report under construction |
I Forum UNGASS/AIDS Acre State |
Rio Branco/AC. March, 2009 |
• Discuss the importance of Implementing the AIDS Feminization Fighting Plan in Acre and the monitoring performed by Brazilian Civil Society |
Report under construction |
Sources: UNGASS-AIDS Forums Reports (Nationals, Regional, State and City); Case Study: ARV Treatment in Brazil: the Civil Society Perspective, and National Program on STD and AIDS.