Civil Society and Private Sector Division

Civil society plays a critical role in the AIDS response, speaking with many voices and representing many different perspectives. The importance of securing input from the full spectrum of civil society partners cannot be overstated. Among these partners are groups and networks of people living with HIV, AIDS service organizations, people who use drugs and harm reduction networks, sex workers, men who have sex with men and transgender people, organizations of young people, women, health professionals and scientists, sports entities, national and international NGOs, faith-based organizations, humanitarian and human rights organizations and academia.

UNAIDS defines private sector broadly to include individual, for-profit, commercial enterprises, business associations and coalitions and corporate philanthropic foundations. For the world of work, both employers and trade unions play a critical role in the AIDS response. UNAIDS' alliances with the private sector and its associations can take many forms: programmatic partnerships, advocacy, fundraising support, or contributions-in-kind. UNAIDS also assists in the development of national business coalitions on HIV in regions heavily impacted by the epidemic. These coalitions facilitate the development of private sector workplace policies, initiate dialogue between the public and private sectors, and promote public-private initiatives to respond to the epidemic.