The 2006 follow-up meeting on the outcome of the twenty-sixth special session: implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS will take place from 31 May – 2 June at the United Nations in New York, USA. (Information Note 2)

This year, the Secretary-General presented the report to the General Assembly on progress made until the end of 2005, a year when targets in the Declaration are due. 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 opportunities provided for civil society organizations to take part in the meeting is unprecedented.

For the first time, a person living with HIV will address the General Assembly plenary, normally reserved for Member States and UN officials. There will also be a civil society hearing, which provides civil society an opportunity to exchange views with Member States.

The meeting will feature a series of panel discussions as well as roundtables covering diverse topics. Building on these discussions, a high- level meeting will take place on the third day. This meeting will culminate in the adoption of a political declaration aimed at reaffirming and expressing recommitment to the full implementation of the Declaration in the coming years.