Asia Pacific Civil Society & 2008 UNGASS on HIV and AIDS

This review has been commissioned in order to produce a summary analysis of processes and outcomes from the 2008 UNGASS Country Reports.

The aim of the review is to provide:
1. a general overview of civil society participation in national responses and in the compilation of the reports; and
2. an assessment of the accuracy/gaps of each report in terms of civil society experience and knowledge of national responses.

The countries that have provided 2008 UNGASS Country Reports are China, Japan, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Tuvalu.

The majority of Country Reports note that current UNGASS 2008 reporting has improved significantly from the last round, reflecting improved data collection, increased political commitment and a greater willingness to acknowledge and include the view of civil society partners. Nevertheless the number of reports quality, amount of information and number of indicators reported on – ranging from Singapore’s 5 and Japan’s 7 pages to Papua New Guinea’s 169 pages – indicates that some countries take the reporting process more seriously than others.