INTRODUCTION

The First Ladies of Africa, as leaders, women, and mothers, bring a unique passion, perspective, and position to the fight against HIV and AIDS. Through participation in various African for a, the African First Ladies have expressed a desire to focus much needed attention on the special challenges facing families, vulnerable groups including women, children, and youth, and persons infected and affected by HIV/ AIDS. These leaders want to utilize their roles as First Ladies and join forces with those responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa.

PREAMBLE

We, the First Ladies of Africa,

Considering the concerns expressed and the commitments taken during the following meetings:

Yaoundé, January 18, 2001: "How to insure the opening up of generations of young Africans confronted by the permanent threat of AIDS";

Marrakech, April 20-22, 2001: "The Girl Child: Global Trends";

Bamako, May 7-8, 2001: "The Reduction of Maternal and Neo-Natal Death Rates in West and Central Africa";

Libreville, May 17-19, 2001: "The Persistence of Conflicts in Africa, the Roles of First Ladies";

Kigali, May 20-22, 2001: "Children and AIDS Prevention";

Cairo, May 27-29, 2001: "Pan-African Forum on Children";

Kampala, January 12-19, 2002: "Joint communiqué of First Ladies on AIDS Orphans and Vulnerable Children";

Abidjan, April 8-10, 2002: "Regional meetings on Intellectual Property and the Protection of Expressions used in Folklore and Traditional Knowledge";

Yamoussoukro, April 7-12, 2002: Regional workshop in West and Central Africa on AIDS Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children";

New York, May 9, 2002: "UN Special Session on Children";

Recognizing the framework of action of the international partnerships against AIDS in Africa, the action plan of the special summit of OAU Heads of States and Governments on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, Abuja, Nigeria, April 2001 and the commitment Declaration on HIV/AIDS of the 26^th extraordinary session of the UN General Assembly, New York, June 2001 and the creation of a new economic partnership for African development (NEPAD) in 2001;

Considering that approximately 28.5 million of the 40 million people in the world living with HIV/AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa, and 18.5 million of the 25 million who have died of AIDS were from sub-Saharan Africa;

Considering that AIDS represents one of the major causes of mortality among women in Africa, having already left behind more than 11 million orphans;

Considering an estimated 11.8 million young people aged 15-24 are living with HIV/AIDS and that about half of all new adult infections (nearly 6000 daily) in the world are occurring among young people;

Considering that HIV/AIDS presents a major challenge for economic and social development in African countries;

Considering that only a small portion of those in need currently have access to prevention and treatment services that have been proven effective, that out of the estimated 5-6 million people living with HIV/AIDS and in need of antiretrovirals in Africa, only 30,000 currently have access to this lifesaving treatment;

Considering our role as First Ladies, spouses, mothers and educators;

Convinced that there cannot be a reduction of the spread of HIV without the strong and real involvement of women;

Aware of the necessity to build strong linkages with our national and international partners;

Filled with the desire to reinforce the spirit of cooperation and collaboration among nations in a new, more active approach to solidarity and concerted action;

Will join together to fight HIV and AIDS in Africa with determination and

Agree to set up a framework for dialogue, networking, information exchange, and strategic action.

PURPOSE

The goal of the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS is to advocate for the mobilization of awareness and resources as well as the development of leadership, policies, strategies and actions to fight HIV/AIDS at the national, regional and global level. 

Specifically, the Organization will:

• Cultivate a spirit of solidarity and the exchange of experiences on HIV/ AIDS among the African First Ladies;
• Increase the capacity of First Ladies and other women leaders to advocate for effective solutions to respond to the epidemic, and against stigma and discrimination in the fight against HIV /AIDS;
• Develop critical partnerships with international donors and organizations, regional and local partners to mobilize resources, raise awareness and develop and support HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care programs.

 GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS will:

• Conform to regional and international Conventions and declarations on HIV/AIDS;
• Enhance national strategic frameworks, priorities and policies;
• Give due regard and complement existing achievements and initiatives;
• Recognize that accountability should be to the national program goals rather than donor goals;
• Promote and protect the fundamental rights of women and children;
• Advocate for the respect of human rights in general and especially the rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS;
• Endeavor to protect the rights of the child;
• Promote the integration of a gender perspective into HIV/AIDS programs;
• Adopt a consensus approach;
• Support the continuum of services including prevention, treatment, care and social support;
• Recognize the value added the office of the First Ladies’ can bring to the fight against HIV/ AIDS.

 BENEFICIARIES

The Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS will advocate for increased access to essential prevention services and for treatment, care, and support services for families, vulnerable groups including women, children, and youth and persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. 

OBJECTIVES

The Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS is committed to make concrete contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa through advocacy, networking and resource mobilization. The objectives for the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS are to:

1. Strengthen the capacity of First Ladies to mobilize effective responses to HIV/AIDS for vulnerable populations.

Strategies:

• Support the establishment of a mechanism for the First Ladies of Africa and relevant partners to network (share experiences and better practices);
• Mobilize effective community responses to HIV/AIDS and mobilize resources;
• Engage key stakeholders at all levels and in all sectors to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and promote effective partnerships and collaboration;
• Promote the development of women’s and youth’s leadership against HIV/AIDS;
• Develop media advocacy capacity among women in leadership roles to effectively respond to the challenges and opportunities of HIV/AIDS at all levels.

 

1. Reduce the stigma and discrimination of people living with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS and increase their participation in fighting the pandemic.

Strategies:

• Advocate for respect of people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and condemn stigma and discrimination in all its forms;
• Advocate for more involvement of people who live with HIV/AIDS in the development and implementation of prevention, treatment, and care programs and services.

1.  Mobilize stakeholders and financial and operational resources at the local, national, regional and global level to facilitate an expanded response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Strategies:

• Help secure additional resources at the national and global level to scale-up effective responses to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa;
• Promote the decentralization of resources to the community level to effectively support family and community-based responses to HIV/AIDS pandemic.

1. Advocate for the expansion of effective HIV/AIDS prevention strategies.

Strategies:

• Support youth leadership to increase access to information, lifeskills training and services for youth;
• Promote dialogue and wider sensitization on social-cultural practices that encourage the spread of HIV/AIDS in many communities.
• Promote and support a gender-based response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic;
• Promote Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) services;
• Promote programs for the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS (PMTCT);
• Advocate for expanded blood safety programs;
• Support expansion of and participation in vaccine research.

1. Advocate for the expansion of effective HIV/AIDS treatment and care and support strategies.

Strategies:

• Advocate for increased access to anti-retroviral therapies (ARVs) and essential medicines for the treatment of opportunistic infections and sexually transmitted diseases through sustainable and significant cost reductions/donations, public-private partnerships, and other strategies;
• Promote the expansion of prevention of mother to child transmission programs by providing treatment, care and support to HIV/AIDS positive parents and children;
• Promote and support nutrition and food programs into HIV/AIDS care and support programs;
• Promote training of all cadres of health and social service providers, community care givers and family members to expand access to care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS;
• Advocate with religious institutions to expand their leadership in providing care and support services at the community level;
• Advocate for the development of national and community responses to meet the needs of orphans and other vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS, including the elderly who bearing a disproportionate responsibility for their care.

1. Monitor and evaluate of the implementation of activities through the Organization of African Firsts ladies against HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Strategies:

• Develop and implement a unified reporting system;
• Conduct annual reviews.

 We, Firsts Ladies of Africa, in order to achieve our objectives, decided to create a structure named

Organization of African Firsts ladies against HIV/AIDS.

The By-laws, which will define the mandate and functions of the different structures of the Organization, will be elaborated by a committee of experts and submitted to the Firsts ladies at the firsts General Assembly of the Organization.

STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE AFRICAN FIRSTS LADIES against HIV/AIDS.

The name of the organization is the Organization of African Firsts ladies against HIV/AIDS.Firsts Ladies examined many scenarios and decided on establishing a lean bureau for effective and efficient implementation of the actions of the Organization. The composition of which shall be as follows:

1. The Steering Committee:

   The steering Committee of the organization shall comprise of 5 Firsts Ladies representing each of the 5 sub regions of Africa namely central, Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western. The Steering Committee shall choose a President from amongst themselves, the remaining four (4) shall be Vice-Presidents.

2. The Secretariat:

A permanent Secretariat composed of 3-5 persons shall be established as follows:1- The Secretariat shall be headed by an Executive secretary who will be supported by an Administration and Finance Officer and other support staff;2- The secretariat shall be located in the official headquarters of the African Union;3- The secretariat shall serve as the reporter of the Organization;

4- The secretariat shall report to the Steering Committee as established above.

COMMITMENT OF FACILITATORS

JOINT UNITED NATIONS PROGRAM ON HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

UNAIDS is committed to work closely and support the Organization of African First ladies to the fight against HIV/AIDS more specifically in the follow areas:

1. Networking and shearing of experiences and best practices among First ladies; Provision of technical support; Support resource mobilization; Facilitate the monitoring and evaluation process;
2. Institutional support.

INTERNATIONAL AIDS TRUSTS (IAT)

IAT is committed to continue to work with and support the success of the Organization of African Firsts ladies in the fight against HIV/AIDS, particularly in the following areas:

1. resource mobilization including the linking of countries with credible donors and partners; Public relations support Institutional support;
2. Technical support.

AFRICAN AMBASSADORS IN GENEVA

The African Group of Ambassadors to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva provided support and worked closely with the facilitators and actively participated in the proceedings of the conference. Furthermore they availed themselves to support and collaborate with the Organization of African Firsts ladies against HIV/AIDS.