Issued by Department of Health
19 April 2006
The Department of Health notes the joint statement issued by the Treatment Action Campaign and the AIDS Law Project yesterday with regard to participation in the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV and AIDS to be held in New York from May 31-June 02.
United Nations resolution (Resolution A/RES/60/224) invites Member States to include civil society representatives in their national delegations to the meeting. Civil society may include "associations of people living with HIV and AIDS, non-governmental organisations including organisations of women and young people, girls and boys and men, faith-based organisations, private sector and representatives labour."
The Department has finalised the delegation, which includes 14 people invited by government from all the sectors of civil society as defined in the relevant UN resolution.
While most other sectors have one representative per sector, the Department has invited two people from associations of people living with HIV and AIDS. (i.e. Sipho Mthathi, General Secretary of the TAC and Nkululeko Nxesi, National Director of the National Association of People Living with HIV and AIDS - NAPWA)
Most of the delegates have responded positively to the invitation except for the TAC's Ms Mthathi who, through a press statement, has put several conditions regarding her participation in the country delegation.
The main condition is that she will only participate if the AIDS Law Project is also invited to the delegation. The Department is unable to address this particular condition.
There are many organisations that are doing sterling work in curbing the spread of HIV infection and reducing the impact of AIDS in the country. Therefore, no organisation can claim to be solely entitled to representation in the country delegation above other organisations.
The UN resolution put the discretion on the country, represented by its democratically elected government, to decide on the representation of civil society and the composition of such representation.
The Department is proceeding with the logistical arrangements with regard to the registration and participation of the delegation at the UNGASS which will be fully financed by government. This requires that Ms Mthathi to decide whether she accepts or declines the invitation to be part of the country delegation.
There are no limitations to the activities of members of the country delegation to the UNGASS. Delegates are requested to attend regular country-delegation meetings aimed at ensuring that delegates are spread across as many parallel activities as possible and they share with the rest of the delegation some of the issues coming out of those parallel events.
(e.g. a children's representative may have to attend UNICEF activities and report back at the next meeting of the delegation on issues of children and HIV and AIDS discussed at the UNICEF event)
Contact: Sibani Mngadi @ 0827720161