Ahead of the 2016 UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS, organisations have released the zero draft of the 2016 Political Declaration on the Fast-Track to end AIDS.
The co-facilitators of the meeting, Ms Patricia Kasese-Bota, Permanent Representative of Zambia to the UN, and Mr Jurg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN said the meeting will also ensure sustainable development.
UNAIDS in a statement issued in New York, said that the zero draft reflects on the achievements made so far in the response to AIDS.
It said that it sets out a clear agenda to Fast-Track the response by 2020 and put the world on track to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.
It stated that the zero draft was presented to UN member states on April 18.
It said that the co-facilitators will begin open, transparent and inclusive informal consultations on the draft declaration on April 25 at the UN headquarters in New York.
It said that during the consultation the UN member states will negotiate and finalise with the declaration over the next few weeks.
The statement noted that after the negotiations and finalisation of the draft, it will be presented for adoption at the UN High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS on June 8.
It disclosed that the co-facilitators will also hold an informal meeting with civil society groups, the private sector and other relevant stakeholders on April 26 on the draft political declaration.
The UN High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS will take place in New York, from June 8 to June 10.
It said that it will bring together high-level representatives of UN member states, people living with HIV, civil society, the private sector and other partners to focus the world’s attention on the importance of a Fast-Track approach to the AIDS response over the next five years.
The Political Declaration adopted at the meeting will guide and monitor the AIDS response towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.