Office of the President of the Millennium Assembly
55th session of the United Nations General Assembly
 
 
THE PROCESS OF PREPARATION FOR
THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON HIV/AIDS
25-27JUNE 2001 

On Thursday 3rd of November 2000, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on "Review of the problem of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in all its aspects" (55/13, former A/55/L.13). According to this resolution the Special Session on HIV/AIDS will be held from the 25th to the 27th of June, 2001. The preparatory process agreed upon, will be innvoative and follow, to a large extent, the pattern of the preparations for the Millennium Summit.

To facilitate the preparatory process the Office of the President of the General Assembly, together with the substantive secretariat, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the secretariat of the General Assembly Affairs, has worked out a tentative outline of the process, a so-called "road-map". The document is unofficial and an evolving one and does not have any other than facilitating role.

Key steps and time frame for the intergovernmental process (November 2000 - June 2001)


· 1st week of December 2000:

Appointment of the two facilitators by the President of the General Assembly

· Mid-December 2000:

Circulation of a "non paper" on the organisational arrangements of the Special Session (A) and the recommendations by the President of the General Assembly (55/13, former A/55/L.13, op 14) regarding civil society actors (B):

A. Non-paper to include, inter alia:

a. provisional programme of work for the special session
b. organisational arrangements for the preparatory process and the Special Session
c. organisation and themes for round table discussion

B. Recommendations by the President of the General Assembly: The form of the Involvement of civil society actors

· Mid-December 2000:

Briefing by the President of the General Assembly on the status and process of preparations of the Special Session

· Mid-January - mid-February 2001:

Open-ended informal/informals of the Plenary on the "non paper" (A) and the President`s Recommendations (B), as well as on the " list of other relevant civil society actors" (55/13, former A/55/L.13, op 13b)

· Mid-February 2001:

Decision by the Plenary of the General Assembly on the organisational arrangements and participation of the civil society actors

· (Mid-February 2001:

Inter-agency consultations)

· 20 February 2001:

Circulation of the report of the Secretary-General and the "issues paper" on emerging issues, trends and elements to facilitate the elaboration of the Declaration of Commitment

· 20 February 2001 onwards:

Open-ended informal/informals of the Plenary on the report of the Secretary-General and the "issues paper" to prepare for the open-ended informal consultations of the Plenary

· 26 February - 2 March 2001:

Open-ended informal consultations of the Plenary on the report of the Secretary-General and on the issues for consideration in the Declaration of Commitment

· 10 March 2001:

Circulation of the first draft outline of the Declaration of Commitment

· March/April 2001:

Open-ended informal/informals of the Plenary on the first draft outline of Declaration of Commitment and elaboration of the draft Declaration

· 23 -27 April 2001:

Open-ended informal consultations of the Plenary on the draft Declaration of Commitment

· Beginning of May 2001:

Draft decision on the Recommendation by the General Assembly to the Special Session on the Declaration of Commitment; open-ended informal/informals of the Plenary to be organized if need arises

· May 2001:

Plenary of the General Assembly to decide on the Recommendation of the General Assembly to the Special Session

· 25 - 27 June 2001:

Special Session on HIV/AIDS

COMMENTS:

1. Briefings will be organized by the President of the General Assembly at several junctions along the process.

2. Form of contribution and participation of civil society actors in the preparatory process and the Special Session to be determined and worked through with all stakeholders.

3. A separate list of key global and regional events, relevant to the Special Session will be distributed shortly.

4. The "road-map" will be revised as deemed necessary.