UNAIDS

Mandate

The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) was launched in 1996 to strengthen the UN response to AIDS. Headquartered in Geneva, UNAIDS works actively in more than 80 countries, assisted by regional support teams. The mission of UNAIDS is to lead and inspire the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

Through a series of goals, resolutions and declarations, including Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS (2006), Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (2001), Millennium Development Goals (2000), and the UN Security Council Resolution 1308 (2000) adopted by Member States of the UN, the world has a set of commitments and actions to stop and reverse the spread of HIV and scale up towards universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services.

UNAIDS brings together the efforts of ten UN system organizations: UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank.With its Cosponsors, UNAIDS assists in ensuring better coordination among its partners in the UN system  and among governments, civil society actors, donors
and the private sector, and provides technical support to countries in assisting the implementation of their national AIDS plans.

UNAIDS in Armenia

UNAIDS established its presence in Armenia in 2004. Closely cooperating with national institutions, civil society and other international organizations, UNAIDS assists Armenia in achieving Universal Access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, and contributes to the attainment of its Millennium Development Goals.

UNAIDS provides technical support and policy advice to accelerate multi-sectoral, comprehensive and inclusive response to HIV/AIDS in Armenia. Through the UN Joint Team on AIDS the UNAIDS Country Office (UCO) assists the country to fully implement the UNAIDS “Three Ones” Principle:

• One agreed HIV/AIDS Action Framework that provides the basis for coordinating the work of all partners;
• One National AIDS Coordinating Authority, with a broad-based multi-sectoral mandate; and
• One agreed country-level Monitoring and Evaluation System.

UNAIDS action aims at helping Armenia to achieve the most effective and efficient use of resources, to ensure rapid action and results-based management and to strengthen national ownership of the response. In order to achieve further progress and take steps to address specific gaps in the response to the epidemic as well as the social, political and structural constraints that limit results, in 2009 UNAIDS responded through UNAIDS Outcome Framework, 2009-2011 - "Joint Action for Results", to optimize partnerships between the UNAIDS Secretariat and the Cosponsors.

For the period of 2010-2011, harmonized with the National Strategy and UNDAF, the UN Joint Team on AIDS in Armenia has identified three priority areas under the UNAIDS Outcome Framework for joint action in support of the national AIDS response:

1. Reduce sexual transmission of HIV;
2. Ensure that people living with HIV receive treatment;
3. Remove punitive laws, policies, practices, stigma and discrimination.

The cross-cutting strategies aimed at enabling joint programmes to contribute to the priority areas identified are:

1. Optimizing UN support for Global Fund applications and implementation;
2. Improving use of evidence and strategic information in AIDS planning and decision making;
3. Optimizing the management and use of technical support;
4. Broadening and strengthening engagement with communities, civil society and networks of people living with HIV.

Results to achieve through the 2010-11 biennium:

• Access of young people aged 15-24, and migrants, including refugees, to HIV information and prevention services is increased;
• At least 80% of people diagnosed with HIV are treated according to the new treatment guidelines;
• By the end of 2011, people living with HIV and most at risk populations access to HIV prevention, social and legal services is enhanced;
• By the end of 2011, the national AIDS stakeholders are able to generate and use reliable and timely data, information and analyses on national epidemic trends in policy decision and programme design;
• By 2011, evidence-informed and costed National AIDS Strategy and Action Plan for 2012-2016 with monitoring and evaluation plans as an integral part, is endorsed by  the Government;
• UN support to the national AIDS response is aligned with the new HIV/AIDS Strategy for 2012-2016, UN Development Assistance Framework 2010-2015 and Global Fund supported programme.

CONTACT:

The Joint United Nations
Programme on HIV/AIDS
UN House
14 Petros Adamyan St.
Yerevan 0010, Armenia
Tel.: (37410) 54 70 88
Fax: (37410) 54 70 99
E-mail: grozdanovam@unaids.org
URL:    http://www.unaids.org
            http://www.un.am