United Nations Theme Group on HIV/AIDS

Since its establishment in 1996, the UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS, has assumed the main responsibility within the UN system for helping the country to strengthen the capacity to cope with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The main role of the UN TG on HIV/AIDS is advocacy, public awareness and coordination and support for national capacity building in AIDS prevention. In countries that do not have permanent UNAIDS representation, the approach used to address HIV/AIDS issues is through the establishment of a so-called "United Nations Theme Group on HIV/AIDS" whose permanent members are the representatives of the six co-sponsors of UNAIDS, namely UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, WB, WHO,UNDCP and UNFPA. Representatives from those UN agencies are all members of the UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS in Moldova, which also comprises members (link) from other donor organizations such as Soros Foundation, UNHCR, TACIS as well as representatives from the governmental and non-governmental sectors, including people living with HIV/AIDS. The UN Theme Group is responsible for policy making and advocacy and is supported by its implementing agents, the so-called Technical Working Group (link) and the national UNAIDS Focal Point, technical and administrative support.

The UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS was established to support an expanded multisectoral response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It has become a key mechanism for coordinated and joint UN action at the country level. The Theme Group provides a structure enabling various agencies to coordinate United Nations support to the national response to HIV/AIDS. The agencies work through the Theme Group to:

  • Undertake information collection, analyses and exchange;
  • Advocate and promote an expanded, multisectoral response to HIV/AIDS including issues of human rights;
  • Undertake advocacy;
  • Provide financial and technical support to the national response;
  • Undertake joint planning and action;
  • Mobilize resources;
  • Share experience;
  • Increase the UN Country team’s understanding of HIV/AIDS and its commitment to the national response.

Terms of Reference for the UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS

  1. Jointly review development, implementation and co-financing of HIV/AIDS project activities by the Cosponsors and by other donors in order to support the Government in its fight against HIV/AIDS;
  2. Coordinate and jointly programme HIV/AIDS activities among Theme Group members within the context of the national strategic plan. This will eventually cover joint workplans for activities that require collaboration by different Cosponsors;
  3. Ensure that UNAIDS policies and programme guidance are applied by the Theme Group members and are promoted with other partners in the country;
  4. Share information on HIV/AIDS activities undertaken or supported by the members. These activities could be either in the form of HIV/AIDS-specific programmes or HIV/AIDS-related activities integrated in the programme of work of the members;
  5. Promote political commitment, multisectoral involvement, and appropriate policies, including human rights policies, with the counterparts of the Theme Group members;
  6. Assist the government in resource-mobilization exercises in support of the National Strategic Plan on Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS and STDs;
  7. Review and coordinate national partner requests to the Cosponsors for technical or financial support; and liase between the national partners and the Cosponsors, and between the national partners and UNAIDS at the global level.
  8. Share experience by informing co-sponsors, donors, government and NGO community of Best Practice Collection in the field of HIV/AIDS advocacy, prevention and treatment.

Terms of Reference for the Technical Working Group on HIV/AIDS

  1. Assist the TG on development, management and monitoring of the projects aimed at enhancing the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its consequences;
  2. In close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the implementing agencies, prepare, implement and monitor the annual workplan of the Theme Group;
  3. Prepare an annual inventory of priority policy and programmatic issues for the attention of the Theme Group;
  4. Prepare a bank of project proposals regarding HIV/AIDS issues;
  5. Ensure that policies and broad activities of the respective Cosponsors and of UNAIDS are reflected in Theme Group support to the national response;
  6. Identify and plan appropriate areas for joint action by the Theme Group (joint plan, budget, implementation for projects);
  7. Keep record, train and support NGOs working in the field of HIV/AIDS;
  8. Compile and maintain a data bank of national experts on all domains of HIV/AIDS prevention and control;
  9. Identify the technical support needs of the Cosponsors and the national response, and assist in mobilizing such support;
  10. In close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, undertake a periodic updating of the inventory of the main actors in HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities;
  11. Undertake continuous monitoring and annual evaluation of the plan of action of the Theme Group.

UN CT Members

Kaarina Immonen

Chairperson, UN Resident Coordinator

Matilda Dimovska

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative / UNDP

Alexandra Yuster

UNICEF Resident Representative / UNICEF

Johan Mathisen

IMF Resident Representative

Melanie Marlett

WB Resident Representative / WB

Martin Wyss

Chief of the IOM Mission / IOM

Petrus Wijninga

UNHCR Resident Representative / UNHCR

Boris Gilca

UNFPA Country Coordinator / UNFPA

Pavel Ursu

WHO Head of Office / WHO

Constantin Rusnac

UNESCO, Secretary of the National Commitee / UNESCO

Gabriela Ionascu

UNAIDS Country Coordinator / UNAIDS