Economic and Social Council

 
44th plenary meeting
26 July 1994

 1994/24. Joint and co-sponsored United Nations programme on human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolution 1993/51 on the coordination of United Nations activities related to HIV/AIDS,

Taking note of the decisions of the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Population Fund, the World Health Organization the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Bank to undertake a joint and co-sponsored United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS, on the basis of co-ownership, collaborative planning and execution, and an equitable sharing of responsibility,

Noting that the World Health Organization is to be responsible for the administration in support of the programme, including during the transition period,

Emphasizing that the global HIV/AIDS epidemic affects every country of the world and that its magnitude and impact are greatest in developing countries,

Emphasizing also the urgent need to mobilize fully all United Nations system organizations and other development partners in the global response to HIV/AIDS, in a coordinated manner and according to the comparative advantages of each organization,

1. Endorses the establishment of a joint and co-sponsored United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS, as outlined in the annex to the present resolution, subject to further review by April 1995 of progress made towards its implementation;

2. Calls for the full implementation of the programme by January 1996, and requests that a report confirming its implementation be submitted to the Economic and Social Council at its organizational session for 1996;

3. Notes that further details of the programme are being developed by the Inter-Agency Working Group that has been established by the six co-sponsors;

4. Invites the six co-sponsors to take immediate steps to transform the Inter-Agency Working Group into a formally constituted Committee of Co-sponsoring Organizations, comprising the heads of those organizations or their specifically designated representatives, which would function under a rotational chairmanship, establish a transition team and assume interim responsibility, inter alia, for overseeing the transition process leading to the full implementation of the programme;

 5. Also invites the six co-sponsors, through the Committee, to initiate action to fill the position of director of the joint and co-sponsored programme as soon as possible, through an open, wide-ranging search process, including consultation with Governments and other concerned parties, and to submit their nominee to the Secretary-General, who will make the appointment;

6. Urges the six co-sponsors, through the Committee, to initiate, as soon as possible, programme activities at the country level, as well as any other programme elements on which there is already full consensus;

7. Stresses that priority should be given to the programme's activities at the country level, where the response to the urgent needs and problems posed by HIV/AIDS should be focused, and underlines the importance of the programme's country-level operations' functioning within the framework of national plans and priorities and a strengthened resident coordinator system, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 47/199;

8. Also stresses that during the transition process, the ongoing HIV/AIDS activities of each of the six co-sponsors should be maintained and/or enhanced, bearing in mind the need for these activities to fit within national AIDS programmes and the general framework of the joint and co-sponsored programme;

9. Requests the six co-sponsors, through the Committee, to produce the following by January 1995, for the consideration of the Economic and Social Council and other concerned parties: a comprehensive proposal specifying the programme's mission statement and the terms and conditions of co-ownership, and detailing the programme's organizational, programmatic, staffing, administrative and financial elements, including proposed budgetary allocations, and to attach to this proposal an annex containing the proposed legal document that the six co-sponsors will sign to establish the programme formally;

10. Encourages the active involvement of the Task Force on HIV/AIDS Coordination during the programme's detailed development phase, through the direct provision of assistance to the Committee, in accordance with the Committee's requirements;

11. Requests the President of the Economic and Social Council to organize, in cooperation with the Committee of Co-sponsoring Organizations, informal open-ended consultations to be held as soon as possible for the purpose of deciding on the specific composition of the programme coordinating board that will govern the programme, interacting periodically with the Committee during the transition period to facilitate progress towards programme implementation, and reviewing the detailed programme proposal after it is received from the Committee, with a view to making appropriate recommendations on the proposal 

not later than April 1995.

44th plenary meeting 26 July 1994

Annex

PROGRAMME OUTLINE

1. The co-sponsored United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS represents an internationally coordinated response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The programme comprises the following United Nations system organizations: the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Population Fund, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Bank. The programme has been formally endorsed by the Executive Boards of the World Health Organization (resolution EB93.R5) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (resolution 144EX-5.1.5); the other four co-sponsors have also committed themselves to full participation.

2. The fundamental characteristics that define the programme are set out below.

I. OBJECTIVES

3. The objectives of the programme are to:

(a) Provide global leadership in response to the epidemic;

(b) Achieve and promote global consensus on policy and programmatic approaches;

(c) Strengthen the capacity of the United Nations system to monitor trends and ensure that appropriate and effective policies and strategies are implemented at the country level;

(d) Strengthen the capacity of national Governments to develop comprehensive national strategies and implement effective HIV/AIDS activities at the country level;

(e) Promote broad-based political and social mobilization to prevent and respond to HIV/AIDS within countries, ensuring that national responses involve a wide range of sectors and institutions;

(f) Advocate greater political commitment in responding to the epidemic at the global and country levels, including the mobilization and allocation of adequate resources for HIV/AIDS-related activities.

4. In fulfilling these objectives, the programme will collaborate with national Governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental 

organizations, groups of people living with HIV/AIDS, and United Nations system organizations.

II. CO-SPONSORSHIP

5. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a global concern. Inter-agency cooperation is vital for ensuring the mobilization of resources and the effective implementation of a coordinated programme of activities throughout the United Nations system.

6. The programme will draw upon the experience and strengths of the six co-sponsors to develop its strategies and policies, which will be incorporated in turn into their programmes and activities. The co-sponsors will share responsibility for the development of the programme, contribute equally to its strategic direction and receive from it policy and technical guidance relating to the implementation of their HIV/AIDS activities. In this way, the programme will also serve to harmonize the HIV/AIDS activities of the co-sponsors.

7. The programme will be managed by a director, who will focus on the programme's overall strategy, technical guidance, research and development, and the global budget. The co-sponsors will contribute to the resource needs of the programme at levels to be determined. The World Health Organization will be responsible for the administration in support of the programme.

8. Other United Nations system organizations concerned with the HIV/AIDS epidemic may be encouraged to join the programme as co-sponsors in the future.

III. FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

9. The programme will build on the capacities and comparative advantages of the co-sponsors. At the global level, the programme will provide support in policy formulation, strategic planning, technical guidance, research and development, advocacy and external relations. This will include normative activities relating to HIV/AIDS in areas such as social and economic planning, population, culture, education, community development and social mobilization, sexual and reproductive health, and women and adolescents.

10. At the country level, the programme will provide support to the resident coordinator system. Co-sponsors will incorporate the normative work undertaken at the global level on policy, strategy and technical matters into their HIV/AIDS activities, consistent with national plans and priorities. An important function of the programme will be to strengthen national capacities to plan, coordinate, implement and monitor the overall response to HIV/AIDS. The participation in the programme of six organizations of the United Nations system will ensure the provision of technical and financial assistance to national activities in a coordinated multisectoral manner. This will strengthen intersectoral coordination of HIV/AIDS activities and will facilitate 

further incorporation of these activities in national programme and planning processes.

11. While the programme will not have a uniform regional structure, it will support intercountry or regional activities that may be required in response to the epidemic, utilizing regional mechanisms of the co-sponsors where appropriate.

IV. FLOW OF PROGRAMME FUNDS

12. Funds for programme activities at the global level will be obtained through appropriate common global means. Contributions to the programme will be channelled in accordance with the global budget and work plan.

13. Funding for country-level activities will be obtained primarily through the existing fund-raising mechanisms of the co-sponsors. These funds will be channelled through the disbursement mechanisms and procedures of each organization.

V. FIELD-LEVEL COORDINATION

14. It is recognized that national Governments have the ultimate responsibility for the coordination of HIV/AIDS issues at the country level. To this end, the arrangements of the programme for coordinating HIV/AIDS activities will complement and support national development planning.

15. The coordination of field-level activities will be undertaken through the United Nations resident coordinator system within the framework of General Assembly resolutions 44/211 and 47/199. This will involve a theme group on HIV/AIDS established by the resident coordinator and comprising representatives of the six co-sponsors and other United Nations system organizations. The chairperson of the theme group will be selected by consensus from among the United Nations system representatives. It is intended that the theme group will help the United Nations system integrate more effectively its efforts with national coordination mechanisms. To support the coordination process, in a number of countries the programme will recruit a country staff member, who will assist the chairperson of the theme group in carrying out his or her functions.

VI. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

16. A programme director will be appointed by the Secretary-General upon the recommendation of the co-sponsors. This will follow a search process undertaken by the co-sponsors which will include consultation with Governments and other interested parties. The director will report directly to the programme coordinating board, which will serve as the governance structure for the programme. Annual reports prepared by the director will be submitted to the board and will also be made available to the governing body of each of the co-sponsors.

17. The composition of the programme coordinating board will be determined 

on the basis of open-ended consultations, as outlined in operative paragraph 11 of the present resolution. In exercising its governance role, the board will have ultimate responsibility for all policy and budgetary matters. It will also review and decide upon the planning and execution of the programme. Its detailed responsibilities and meeting schedule will be specified in a document containing its terms of reference, which is currently being prepared.

18. The programme will also have a committee of co-sponsoring organizations, which will serve as a standing committee of the board. It will comprise one representative from each of the co-sponsors. The committee will meet regularly and will facilitate the input of the co-sponsors into the strategy, policies and operations of the programme.

19. Through consultation with interested non-governmental organizations, a mechanism will be established to ensure their meaningful participation in the programme, so that they can provide information, perspectives and advice to the board, based on their experience and involvement with HIV/AIDS issues.

Date last posted: 4 December 1999 11:57:00
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