AAI joins other advocacy organisations in their call to increase the number of shadow or alternative reports for the 2010 UNGASS reporting process.

UNAIDS states in the 2009 Guidelines on Construction of Core Indicators that “shadow reports are intended to provide an alternative perspective where it is strongly felt that civil society was not adequately included in the national reporting process, where governments do not submit a Country Progress Report, or where data provided by government differs considerably from data collected by civil society monitoring government progress in service delivery. In accepting shadow reports, UNAIDS acknowledges the ‘watchdog’ function which many civil society organisations fulfil in their countries.”

Organisations working in the following areas:

·        men who have sex with men

·        sex workers

·        intravenous drug users

·        youth

·        gender, and

·        human rights

that have information that differs from what government reports are especially encouraged by AAI to submit shadow reports. Reports can be submitted to UNAIDS (not to AAI) by 31 March 2010 or if they are in response to the Country Report then no deadline applies.

AAI research focuses on government accountability in the context of HIV/AIDS policy, implementation and impact, and it is in this context that we ask you to forward this call to colleagues and organisations within your network that may be able to submit reports where necessary.

For more information on how AAI will include shadow reports in our rating initiatives and research, please contact: Phillipa Tucker, Senior Researcher, by phone at: +27 (0) 21 466 80 74 or by email: at:phillipa@aidsaccountability.org