NGO Advocacy

In this section you will find information about:

• The HIV/AIDS Civil Society Forum
• The EU and HIV/AIDS
• Important declarations for advocacy

The HIV/AIDS Civil Society Forum

What is the Civil Society Forum and how does it work?

• The Civil Society Forum (CSF) is an informal advisory body established by the European Commission DG Health and Consumers in 2005;
• It enables informal consultation of the HIV/AIDS Think Tank (consisting of EU member states) and Commission services with civil society;
• The CSF facilitates participation of NGOs and networks, including those representing People Living with HIV/AIDS, in European policy development and implementation and information exchange;
• The CSF enables direct dialogue on EU HIV/AIDS policies between policy makers and civil society;
• The CSF follows up on the high level commitments on HIV/AIDS of the EU and its Member States;
• Lella Cosmaro (AIDS Action Europe) and Anna Zakowicz (European AIDS Treatment Group) are co-chairs of the CSF;
• The members of the CSF meet twice a year.
   

Civil Society Forum Meeting Reports

Download the Civil Society Forum agendas and meeting reports.
 

Membership of the Civil Society Forum

• Members are about 40 representatives of a very wide range of NGOs, national networks and regional networks, which are active on HIV/AIDS prevention, support and advocacy;
• They originate from most of the Member States of the EU, as well as from accessing and neighbouring countries;
• The membership term is 3 years;
• Members are selected by DG Sanco and the Commission Task Force following a call for expression of interest;
• 30 members from the forum are eligible for reimbursement from the Commission for participation in the meetings.

A list of HIV/AIDS Civil Society Forum Members is available on the EU Health website.

Contact the Civil Society Forum

For questions related to the agenda of the forum, please contact one of the two co-chairs Lella Cosmaro (AIDS Action Europe) or Anna Zakowicz (EATG). If you have any questions about logistics, participation or reimbursement, please contact DG Sanco.
 

The EU and HIV/AIDS

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has been an important focus of concern and action of the EU's public health activities since the late 1980's. The Commission communication on combating HIV/AIDS of 2005 provided a policy instrument to address HIV/AIDS on a European level and has been the basis for EU action from 2006 to 2009.

The Commission has renewed its commitment by adopting a strategy on combating HIV/AIDS in the European Union and neighbouring countries for the period 2009-2013.

Browse through the EC Public Health page on HIV/AIDS to find more information about the involvement of the Commission.

EU Presidencies

The EU presidencies co-ordinate the work of the Union. On July 1st, Poland took over the European Union’s six-month rotating presidency from Hungary. Health priorities for the Polish EU presicency are:
 

1. Closing the health gap in European societies
2. Preventing brain diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, including Altzheimer disease

Click here for more information about the Polish EU Presidency.
 

Upcoming EU Presidencies:

• Denmark: January–June 2012
• Cyprus: July–December 2012
• Ireland: January–June 2013
• Lithuania: July–December 2013
• Greece: January–June 2014
• Italy: July–December 2014
• Latvia: January–June 2015
• Luxembourg: July–December 2015
• Netherlands: January–June 2016
• Slovakia: July–December 2016
• Malta: January–June 2017
• United Kingdom: July–December 2017
• Estonia: January–June 2018
• Bulgaria: July–December 2018
• Austria: January–June 2019
• Romania: July–December 2019
• Finland: January–June 2020

Declarations of Commitment

• UNGASS Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS: Intensifying our Efforts to Eliminate HIV/AIDS (2011)
• Bremen Declaration on Responsibility and Partnership - Together Against HIV/AIDS (2007)
• Vilnius Declaration on Measures to Strengthen Responses to HIV/AIDS in the European Union and in Neighbouring Countries (2004)
• Dublin Declaration on Partnership to fight HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia (2004)
• UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (2001)