AIDS 2010 - XVIII. International AIDS Conference

AIDS 2010 Theme: Rights Here, Right Now

The AIDS 2010 conference theme emphasizes the central importance of protecting and promoting human rights, including the rights of women and girls, as a prerequisite to a successful response to HIV. The right to dignity and self-determination for key affected populations, to equal access to health care and life-saving prevention and treatment programmes, and the right to evidence-based interventions driven by science, rather than politics, are all incorporated in this urgent demand for action. The theme emphasizes the location of the conference in Vienna, chosen in part for its proximity to Eastern Europe and Central Asia, a region experiencing one of the fastest growing epidemics that is fuelled primarily by injecting drug use. It also underscores this critical moment in time for the global epidemic – with the 2010 deadline that world leaders set for providing universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support on the immediate horizon. Rights Here, Right Now is a call for leadership, accountability and action.

Introduction

• 18-23 July 2010 — Vienna, Austria

The XVIII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010) is the premier gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic. It is a chance for stakeholders to take stock of where the epidemic is, evaluate recent scientific developments and lessons learnt, and collectively chart a course forward.  

AIDS 2010 will also be the mostly widely watched AIDS event in the world. An estimated 25,000 participants, including 2,500 journalists from more than 100 countries, are expected to attend and news coverage of the conference is a very important source of public awareness and education.

The selection of the AIDS 2010 host city is a reflection of the central role Vienna has played in bridging Eastern and Western Europe, and will allow for an examination of the epidemic’s impact in Central and Eastern Europe, including issues related to human rights and injecting drug use.

Please find here usefull material and links that we have gathered here for you in preparation of this enormously important conference.

Key Dates for the IAC in Vienna

• 1 November 2009
  • Abstract submissions open

• 1 December 2009
  • Registrations open
  • Programme activities & workshops open
  • Scholarships open
  • Satellite applications open
  • Exhibition space application open
  • Accommodation bookings open

• 10 February 2010
  • Abstract submissions close
  • Programme activities & workshops close
  • Scholarships close

• 24 February 2010
  • Registrations late surcharge added

• 31 March 2010
  • Satellite applications close 

• 1 April 2010
  • Volunteer applications open

• 20 April 2010
  • Abstract submissions late breakers open

• 20 July 2010
  
  • Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More Than Ever A march and concert @ AIDS 2010
    • Short description anf FAQ of the march and concert, updated January 2010
    • Older version from November,11 2009 of the same FAQ as PDF download
    • This event shall provide an opportunity not only for conference participants, but also for all people in Vienna and Austria to demonstrate their commitment to HIV and human rights. It will consist of a 30-minute peaceful march, some short speeches by highest-level officials (including the executive directors of UNAIDS the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, and the International AIDS Society, and high-level representatives of the City of Vienna and the Austrian government) and representatives of people living with and affected by HIV, and a concert for human rights.

Links and Documents

Links

• The official website: www.aids2010.org

• www.HIVhumanrightsnow.org (under construction)
  
  • a human rights campaign website, expected to be up by the end of 2009, in English, Russian, French, Spanish, and German, providing information about the human rights activities at AIDS 2010, explaining the 10 reasons why human rights should occupy the center of the global AIDS struggle, and encouraging more organizations around the world to endorse the joint statement entitled “Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More Than Ever”, which to date has been endorsed by over 650 organizations and is supported by UNAIDS, UNDP, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Documents

• Now More Than Ever: 10 Reasons why Human Rights should occupy the Center of the Global Aids Struggle
  
  • Copyright ©2007 by the Open Society Institute.
  • PDF, English
  • At the United Nations High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS in 2006, world leaders reaffirmed that “the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all is an essential element in the global response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.” Yet, 25 years into the AIDS epidemic, the “essential element” remains the missing piece in the fight against AIDS.
    
  • This declaration, endorsed by 24 nongovernmental organizations and
    networks around the world, affirms that, now more than ever, human rights
    should occupy the center of the global struggle against HIV and AIDS.

• From Concept to Critical Discussion: A Toolkit for Preparing the Best Conference Abstracts, Presentations & Posters
  • Edition 3, January 2009
  • PDF, English
  • This toolkit is for people working in the HIV/AIDS field and others considering attending AIDS 2010, the International AIDS Conference in Vienna (July 18-23, 2010). This third edition was revised based on the feedback of those who used versions 1 & 2 in preparation for AIDS 2006 in Toronto and AIDS 2008 in Mexico City.
  • written by John Miller on behalf of the Coalition on Children Affected by AIDS

• Fact Sheet: AIDS 2010 Theme and Local Partners
  • updated October 2009
  • PDF, English
  • The AIDS 2010 theme and the role of the Österreichische AIDS Gesellschaft (ÖAG) as a local partner of AIDS 2010 as can be seen in the new version of the fact sheet.

•  General Introduction to the Conference 
  • Powerpoint presentation (as PDF), English
  • by the Aids-Hilfe Wien
  • February 2009

• Evaluation Report of the XVII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008)
  • PDF, English
  • held in in Mexico City, Mexico, from 3 to 8 August, 2008, attracting more than 20,000 delegates.
  • The IAS Evaluation Coordinator was responsible for the design and implementation of an evaluation of AIDS 2008 with the objective of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the conference and assessing its immediate and long-term impact.

• Review of the International Aids Conference 2008 in Mexico City
  • PDF
  • HIV is a virus not a crime - this slogan by Edwin Cameron reflects well the spirit of this conference which clearly put human rights at centre stage. It was the first conference in Latin America and attracted about 22 000 people (the 2nd largest IAC) with 6000 from Latin America.
  • Additional snapshots (PDF)
  • by Astrid Berner-Rodoreda, Advisor on HIV and AIDS, Africa Team, Bread for the World
  • Stuttgart, August 12th, 2008