CHGA Convenes Second Commissioner’s meeting

Press Advisory (March 19, 2004)

The Commission for HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa (CHGA) will convene its Second Commissioners Meeting in Maputo, Mozambique from March 23-25. Eleven Commissioners including Dr. Richard Feachem, Executive Director of the Global Fund, and Dr. K.Y. Amoako, Chairman of CHGA and Executive Secretary of Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), have confirmed their participation. Both Patrons of CHGA, H.E. Kenneth Kaunda, former president of Zambia, and H.E. Pascoal Mocumbi, former prime minister of Mozambique, will also attend the meeting. Other participants include senior officials from the government of Mozambique, UN partner agencies, civil society organizations and key research partners.

CHGA will present the template for its five country studies during this meeting. CHGA country case countries are: Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Senegal and Democratic Republic of Congo. Within each country, the research will focus on the impact of HIV/AIDS on macroeconomic and political governance structures, and identify best practices and transferable knowledge relevant for other countries on the continent.

The second day of the meeting will be dedicated to a special interactive session between the Commissioner’s and civil society organizations. Participants for this special session include associations of people living with HIV/AIDS, service delivery organizations, and organizations engaged in HIV governance issues. The objective of the session is for CHGA Commissioners to work with leading CSOs and their networks as focal points for mobilizing a wide constituency around issues related to knowledge sharing, prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS. This session also aims to bring out CSOs reflection on the issues of AIDS and governance, informing civil society of the work of CHGA, and obtaining inputs into CHGA’s own deliberation and recommendations. As part of the day, presentations on the issues of orphans, treatment and the impact of HIV/AIDS on human capacity will be given.

Finally, the meeting will also be the launch pad for CHGA’s Advocacy activities. As an activist Commission, CHGA is committed to garner political commitment among African governments to adopt the social and economic policies necessary to sustain state functions despite the impacts of HIV/AIDS. Commissioner’s, as key players in this agenda, will review and make recommendations for the adoption of the proposed advocacy strategy on the last day of the meeting.