Monaco meeting allows networks of people living with HIV to plan for LIVING 2008
31 January 2008
A planning meeting in Monaco, co-organised by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, proved to be an important opportunity for key leaders from networks of people living with HIV to plan for LIVING 2008 – the twelfth international conference for people living with HIV.
The major goal of HIV+ Monaco, hosted by Princess Stephanie of Monaco from 24–26 January 2008, was to allow people living with HIV, as a movement, to reflect on how they can improve the exchange of knowledge and information, as well as improve collaboration among groups of people living with HIV at country, regional, and global levels. Participants discussed technical issues, devised mechanisms for implementing ongoing consultations, and started planning for LIVING 2008.
LIVING 2008: The Positive Leadership Summit is being held on 31 July and 1 August 2008 as a pre-meeting to the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico (AIDS 2008). It aims to harness the diversity and knowledge of people living with HIV by bringing together 350 leaders from around the world to discuss key issues including:
- universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care progress;
- prevention, with a focus on positive prevention;
- sexual and reproductive health rights of people living with HIV;
- criminalisation of the transmission of HIV;
- cross-cutting issues including women and most-at-risk groups.
Overarching issues to be discussed also include addressing gender inequality; increasing the involvement of young people living with HIV; stigma and discrimination; the greater involvement of people living with HIV (GIPA) and creating effective partnerships.
The conference also aims to develop the technical and leadership skills of people living with HIV as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the movement of people living with HIV to contribute to the AIDS response in countries.
LIVING 2008 will also allow participants to prepare for AIDS 2008 and to develop common positions and strategies on key priorities to take forward at the conference. The outcomes of key sessions of LIVING 2008: The Positive Leadership Summit will be presented at a large plenary satellite at the start of AIDS 2008.
The Alliance collaborated with the International AIDS Society to develop and facilitate the overall programme for the HIV+ Monaco meeting and is also involved in shaping the road to LIVING 2008 as part of the Alliance’s support to GNP+, the Global Network of People living with HIV.
The Living with HIV Partnership
The Living with HIV Partnership is consortium of organisations committed to strengthening the movement of people living with HIV and their communities and is composed of:
- Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+)
- International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW)
- International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)
- International HIV/AIDS Alliance
- International AIDS Society (IAS)
- International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
- International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)
- Sidaction
- United Nations Joint Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
