With an annual budget of US$95 million and a staff of 139 professionals, UNAIDS is a modest-sized programme with a substantial impact. The UNAIDS Secretariat operates as a catalyst and coordinator of action on AIDS, rather than as a direct funding or implementing agency.
With its headquarters in Geneva, the UNAIDS Secretariat works on the ground in more than 80 countries.
UNAIDS has five focus areas for a more effective global response to AIDS:
Mobilizing leadership and advocacy for effective action on the epidemic
Providing strategic information and policies to guide efforts in the AIDS response worldwide
Tracking, monitoring and evaluation of the epidemic - the world’s leading resource for AIDS-related epidemiological data and analysis
Engaging civil society and developing partnerships
Mobilizing financial, human and technical resources to support an effective response
UNAIDS Regional Support Teams (RSTs) provide timely and effective support to UNAIDS Country Offices, while working with regional partners to coordinate and provide programming and technical support to strengthen national responses.
The RSTs overall goal is to catalyze and facilitate an expanded response to HIV in the region, aiming to:
Halt the epidemic by preventing new infections
Expand access to treatment, care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS
Expand care, protection and support for orphans and families affected by HIV and AIDS
At country level the RSTs support the UNAIDS Country Coordinators and through them the UN country team's HIV response through the UN Theme Groups on HIV (UNTGs). In countries with no Country Coordinator the RST provides direct support through the UNTG.
At regional level the RSTs work with regional UN entities, intergovernmental organizations, donors and nongovernmental organizations.
At global level the RSTs coordinate with the UNAIDS Secretariat in Geneva and the interface with global partnerships.
Functions
The RST's work is structured around five key areas:
UN country team support for an expanded national response to the epidemic that seeks to improve the strategic quality of UN system support for HIV responses at country level
Regional level partnership development and coordination that mobilizes and facilitates regional leaders and partners to expand and better coordinate their support for country level HIV responses
Facilitation of access to technical and programming support for national AIDS responses to support the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national AIDS responses
Evidence-based advocacy and generation of strategic information on trends and the response to the epidemic
Operations support to UNAIDS offices
UNAIDS Regional Support Teams
Asia and Pacific: Bangkok, Thailand
Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Cairo, Egypt
West and Central Africa: Dakar, Senegal
Europe: Moscow, Russian Federation
East and South Africa: Johannesburg, South Africa
Caribbean: Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Latin America: Panama
UNAIDS Offices in Brussels, New York and Washington D.C. are the primary links with the various intergovernmental bodies, officials of governments, elected officials in the locations.
The Liaison Offices advocate on behalf of UNAIDS, interact with and inform political leaders to ensure that the epidemic is integrated into political processes and decisions.
Through the Offices, UNAIDS Secretariat, Cosponsors and partners monitor implementation of agreed political decisions, and have access to policy and political information that catalyse and support responses to the epidemic.
The UNAIDS Office in New York
The UNAIDS Office in New York (NYO) works closely with representative Missions to the United Nations and the UN Secretariat to ensure that the General Assembly (GA) and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) are informed about, and effectively engaged in, the response to AIDS. It seeks to ensure systematic follow-up to the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the 2006 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS.
NYO supports the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General in advancing the AIDS response within the development agenda.
NYO collaborates with civil society organizations, foundations, private sector and organizations of people living with HIV to advocate and support implementation of effective programmes.
NYO facilitates the sharing of relevant UNAIDS experience and expertise in UN reform processes, particularly in the area of joint programming.
NYO promotes close coordination and joint action by various UN entities to advance the AIDS agenda at the UN and within individual UN organizations.
NYO seeks to foster a closer relationship amongst UN agencies and programmes; between UN and Missions, NY communities, civil society organizations, through activities such as the observance of World AIDS Day, thematic briefings, exhibitions and special events.
The UNAIDS Liaison Office to the European Union
The UNAIDS Liaison Office to the European Union provides advice and assistance in the conduct of relations between UNAIDS and the European Institutions, as well as other international bodies and civil society organizations located in Brussels, and ensures that the global AIDS epidemic is effectively addressed by them as a priority.
The office focuses on developing activities to promote and facilitate the development of joint programmes and projects at country level as well as expanding its support to civil society organizations enabling them to contributing to policy shaping. The UNAIDS Liaison Office to the European Union also aims to increase senior policy dialogue between UNAIDS and the European Union institutions.
The UNAIDS Office in Washington
The UNAIDS Office in Washington works closely with policymakers with the United States Congress and the United States Executive Branch to ensure that the U.S. government is effectively engaged in the global response to AIDS through efforts such as the U.S. global AIDS initiative, most commonly known as PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief).
The Washington office:
Educates and promotes UNAIDS core priorities within the U.S. political and public policy environment to enhance effective global AIDS programmes of the United States government
Collaborates with civil society organizations, foundations, private sector and organizations of people living with HIV to advocate and support implementation of effective AIDS programmes within the US government
Builds and maintains relationships with the U.S. Congress to share the expert knowledge base of UNAIDS with key members and their staff regarding the U.S response to AIDS
Builds and maintains strong linkages with members of the U.S. Administration, including senior representatives from the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, USAID and Centers for Disease Control (CDC), positioning UNAIDS as a principal partner and trusted resource in U.S. global AIDS efforts.
Represents UNAIDS in high-level meetings and strategy sessions with senior representatives from the U.S. government, the private sector, major non-governmental coalitions, as well as with other UN agencies with offices in Washington.
Collaborates with the UNAIDS Office in New York to increase education about UNAIDS throughout the United States.
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y of the High Court of Australia of Dr Jonathan Mann, the visionary epidemiologist, advocate and scientist who highlighted the inextricable links between human rights and public health.
In commemoration of Dr Mann's untimely death ten years ago, and to celebrate his legacy and the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UNAIDS, WHO and OHCHR hosted “HIV, health and human rights: The Legacy of Jonathan Mann Today” on 24 November 2008.
The commemorative event brought friends and former colleagues of the late Dr Mann together with human rights, health and HIV practitioners for a moving tribute.
UNAIDS Executive Director, Dr Peter Piot, spoke of the significance of Jonathan Mann’s influence on shaping the early AIDS response. “If somebody else had been in charge of the global programme on AIDS, they would have created it with other ideas, with old-fashioned public health ideas, such as quarantine and forced testing. The response to AIDS would have been quite different, and it would have been catastrophic,” said Dr Piot.
Seeing the humanity of those affected and marshalling resources on their behalf
Credit: UNAIDS/M. GirardinDr Piot explained that Dr Mann was a leader in thinking of HIV as more than a virus, how he “would see immediately the societal and political implications” of the disease. “He was more like a chess player than anything else for knowing and anticipating the next move of the virus, as well as the people who didn’t want to deal with it,” said Dr Piot.
A compelling keynote speech was given by Justice Michael Kirby of the High Court of Australia who advised Dr Mann when he was director of the Global Programme on AIDS. Justice Kirby recalled Dr Mann’s conviction at their first meeting, “AIDS is a women’s issue…a women’s issue because of women’s disempowerment.”
Justice Kirby spoke movingly of Dr Mann’s inspiring leadership, and encouraged UN staff and other guests to continue Mann’s work with the same imagination and courage. He also took the opportunity to thank UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot for his own powerful leadership and strong support for human rights in the response to HIV.
A film on Jonathan Mann produced by The Face of AIDS and entitled “Jonathan Mann: Legacy of a Huma Rights Advocate” was premiered at the event. Footage included interviews from the late 1980s in which he explained the unique way in which AIDS both unveils and exacerbates previously existing disadvantage and social challenges, making human rights essential to any HIV response.
Credit: UNAIDS/M. Girardin Dr Mann’s call for an understanding of the people behind the disease resonated throughout the discussion that followed, illustrating the ongoing significance of his message.
A panel of former peers, moderated by Kevin M. De Cock, Director of the WHO Department of HIV/AIDS reflected on the man they knew and brought his commitment alive for the 140 guests, who represented different generations in the AIDS response.
Jonathan’s tireless advocacy in promoting an inclusive response to HIV by involving people living with HIV, sex workers, people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men was highlighted as contributing to a seismic shift in the way the United Nations and the world responded to HIV .
“In his ear, the voice of a sex worker and the voice of a president had the same weight,” recalled Teguest Guerma, Associate Director of the HIV/AIDS Department at the WHO.
Credit: UNAIDS/M. Girardin Daniel Tarantola, Professor of Health and Human Rights, University of New South Wales, Australia recalled the fundamental practicality of Jonathan’s message, “He was guided by the practical utility of human rights as a framework for responding to HIV.” He and Sophia Gruskin, Director, Program on International Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health, both talked about Dr Mann’s incredible leadership in bringing together, for the first time, HIV and respect for human rights.
It was clear that Dr Mann’s passion was equally inspirational to a younger generation who never knew him. UNAIDS Youth Research Fellow Korey Chisholm described how Dr Mann’s approach of explaining human rights simply and directly to all people will help him when he returns to his home country, Guyana, to build capacity among networks of sex workers and men who have sex with men. Chisholm noted how this approach will enable people to recognize their own rights and be stronger advocates.
Today’s relevance of human rights to health and HIV
Jonathan Cohen from the Open Society Institute moderated a subsequent discussion on the ongoing relevance of human rights to health and HIV in light of some contemporary human rights challenges.
Cohen highlighted the similarity and urgency between Jonathan Mann’s key message in an article he published in 1988 entitled “Health and human rights: if not now, when?”, and the 2007 Declaration signed by over 600 organisations entitled “Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More Than Ever”.
Credit: UNAIDS/M. Girardin Mark Heyward who is the head of AIDS Law Project and the Deputy Chair of the South Africa National AIDS Council, called for a new direction in the AIDS response based on the recognition of human rights and highlighted the need to move beyond the rhetoric.
Challenging those present to remember Dr Mann’s words as if he were still live today, Gracia Violeta Ross Quiroga from the Bolivian Network of People with HIV/AIDS stressed that his message is as relevant now as it was then. “When did we lose the passion he brought?”
Ross also questioned how the discussion of HIV would be different if Dr Mann were still alive. As Dr Peter Piot pointed out, “Jonathan Mann saw beyond the health condition to the human being. He saw beyond the patient to a sick society”. The same need for such vision remains today.
The event was co-sponsored by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, with guests from UNAIDS secretariat and cosponsors, the Global Fund, as well as other organizations and government missions.
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