A Nepalese delegation had left for New York to participate in the ‘2006 follow-up meeting’ on the outcome of the 26th special session entitled, “Implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS”.
The meeting is taking place from 31 May to 2 June at the United Nations in New York, USA.
The main focus of the meeting is to review progress achieved in realizing the commitments set out in the Declaration of Commitment and to review progress in implementing the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, focusing on both constraints and opportunities to full implementation, consider recommendations on how the targets set in the Declaration may be reached, including through the “towards universal access processes”; and to renew political commitment.
The meeting will involve all sectors of the international community, governments, civil society and the private sector.
The meeting will feature a series of panel discussions as well as roundtables covering diverse topics.
Nepal is presenting a report about the progress made so far during the session.
Talking to Nepalnews, Shibu Giri, board member of Nava Kiran Plus, a non governmental organization working in the field of HIV/AIDS expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s negligence while preparing the report to be submitted in the session.
“The government should raise its voice for the treatment, care and support but I doubt the report prepared without consultation with the non governmental organization working in the field of HIV/AIDS, could present the real problem,” Giri, who is also an AIDS patient added.
He also informed that the big countries are also not fulfilling their commitment in the sector of HIV/AIDS so the conference will concentrate in such issues and may not give much attention to the report of small countries.
Blue Diamond Society, an organization of sexual minorities is presenting a shadow report from Nepal in the conference.
The first cases of AIDS were reported in Nepal in 1988. Surveillance data is scarce in Nepal. But by early 2005, more than 800 cases of full-blown AIDS and over 4,700 cases of HIV infection were officially reported in the country.