The establishment of the Regional/Arab Network Against Aids in December 13th, 2002 is considered one of the most important tangible achievements realized by the regional workshop on networking, partnership, and leadership in the civil society organizations working on HIV/AIDS in the Arab countries. The UNDP (United Nations Development Program) organized the workshop that was held from December 9th to 13th, 2002, with the assistance of UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), and the logistic support of ATL-MST SIDA (Association Tunisienne de Lutte contre les MST/SIDA), Tunis branch.
RANAA translates the will of the civil society representatives from fourteen (14) Arab countries - Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen - and five (5) regional and international organizations including the Arab women center for training and research “Kawthar”, the IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation – Arab world office), the Arab Scout Bureau, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, for cooperation and coordination of activities in fighting HIV/AIDS.
RANAA’s founding civil society organizations and the other organizations that joined the network have been inspired by the Tunis Declaration in determining the essence and meaning of the charter that will be presented for ratification during the meeting scheduled in Beirut in March 2004. These organizations:
· Confirm their respect for the common cultural and social principles they share.
· Are aware of the need to support, in their respective countries, the efforts of mobilization of the AIDS epidemic response.
· Are aiming at coordinating their efforts on the national level in the networks including the associations’ structures, in addition to the networks that are not working on HIV/AIDS, in order to achieve harmonization and convergence in their programs and activities.
· Accept the imperative need of inserting the awareness aspect in working on HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in their daily programs.
· Note that the prevention efforts cannot be limited by national frontiers.
· Declare, in response to this epidemic challenging the frontiers, that the promotion of the civil society efforts on the national and regional level represent is an essential need to face the epidemic, and that there are a big advantage from the coordination of efforts in the regional network.
The civil society organizations members in RANAA have decided to adopt the following principles in their common charter:
1. The common public commitment to limit the expansion of HIV/AIDS through owning the software, material, human, and institutional tools needed for the HIV/AIDS response.
2. Adopt a common vision to set a mechanism inside the associations that empowers them to coordinate their efforts on the regional level.
3. Commit to working for providing a good and friendly environment for persons living with aids and affected by HIV/AIDS, in order to guarantee their rights and fight all forms of discrimination against them.
4. Be determined to encourage finding/supporting a context for gathering the active associations in their countries in one unified national network.
5. Form necessary alliances with partners, founders, and other existing networks.
On the other hand, the civil society organizations have decided to delegate to the association that will be appointed in Beirut, the responsibility of the Secretariat that performs its works by this charter items and according to the work regulations as follow:
· Ensure the easy and periodic transfer of information to all the civil society organizations in Arab countries of the region. In order to achieve this target, it is necessary to find the appropriate communication means, and therefore, issue periodic newsletters focusing on communications and presentation of information, in addition to the establishment or support of a website periodically updated and ensuring common and useful links to different partners and allies of RANAA (national authorities, networks, etc.).
· Achieve full transparency in the activities performed in the name of RANAA and especially those related to their representation or to collecting financial allocations.
· Attract the attention of the media and other mediators on the regional and international level on this target, using the best defense and persuasion tools.
· Periodically supply the information bank with details on RANAA member organizations, individuals, and resources, in addition to the sources of technical and financial support in fighting HIV/AIDS.
· Work on the appropriate mobilization of human resources in a way that allows the network to be independent, sustainable, and powerful, and to have all the necessary means to achieve its autonomy and development.
· Find factors to attract the attention and assistance of regional and international organizations needed for RANAA’s development and the reinforcement of its structures.
