The establishment in December 2002 of the Regional Arab Network Against AIDS is considered as the most important outcome of the Regional workshop on Networking, Partnership and Leadership for Civil Society Organisations on HIV/AIDS in the Arab States, held in Tunis by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 9-13 December 2002, with the support of UNAIDS and UNFPA and the logistical help of the Tunisian Association against STIs/AIDS (ATL-MST/SIDA).

"RANAA" concretizes the commitment of 51 Arab civil society organisations representatives coming from 14 countries including Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen and 5 regional or international organisations, including CAWTAR, IPPF-AWRO, the Arab scout Bureau, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent in unifying and coordinating their action against the spread of HIV-AIDS pandemic within the Arab region.

"RANAA" founding Arab organizations and the other CSOs which decide to join the movement have decided to take from Tunis Declaration the inspiration for the Charter they adopt during their second meeting in Beirut held in March 2004. They thaw recall on:

• Reaffirming their belonging to common cultural and social values;
• Assuming the necessity for the Arab Civil Society Organisations to reinforce in their respective countries the mobilisation against the AIDS pandemic;
• Conscious of the urgent need for these organisations to coordinate their efforts at national level within national networks unifying the various community actors -including those non specialized in HIV/AIDS- in order to increase efficacy and synergy among their programmes and actions;
• Convinced that it is crucial to remain vigilant in facing the AIDS challenge within their ongoing programmes;
• Conscious that the fight against HIV should not be limited within a single national territory;
• Convinced that the nature of this pandemic, which defies all borders, justifies strongly the combination of the civil society efforts across the region and the necessary coordination among them through an appropriate regional network
The Arab CSOs members of "RANAA" have agreed that their Charter will be based on the following principles:
• A joint commitment for reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS by mobilizing all necessary institutional, human, programmatic and financial means;
• A joint willingness to set-up a coordination mechanism at the regional level in respect to their expressed shared vision, and in order to coordinate their efforts in the fight and the prevention of STIs and HIV/AIDS;
• A joint commitment to work at all levels to create a supportive environment for people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in term to promote and preserve their rights and to firmly combat all forms of discrimination and stigma;
• A joint determination to stimulate creation of -or strengthening- the networking process among civil society organisations in their respective countries, involving all the stakeholders;
• A joint willingness to undertake all needed alliances with the partner institutions and existing networks.

The Arab CSOs members of "RANAA" have agreed to give to (………………….) [Name the organization chosen at Beirut meeting] – with trust and confidence – the responsibility of running "RANAA" Permanent Secretariat, in respecting their goals, the Charter principles, and the following rules of conduct and management:
o Insuring permanent and sustainable flow of information among "RANAA" member CSOs by establishing a communication system and creating all relevant means and tools as mailing and periodical newsletter and by launching a web-site, regularly updated and having links with strategic "RANAA" partners and allies sites (United Nations agencies & programmes, Networks, etc.);
o Guaranteeing total transparency and accountability regarding network governance, as well as all activities run on behalf of "RANAA" and especially those linked with representation and fund raising;
o Awareness of medias and other actors, at the regional and international level, about this process, including using advocacy and lobbying techniques;
o Establishing -and nourishing at a regular basis- a regional Data base on "RANAA" member organizations, resource persons and sources of technical/financial support in the area of HIV/AIDS;
o Working for an adequate financial resource mobilisation and to prepare a General Assembly, aiming on insuring to "RANAA" autonomy, sustainability and development;
o Seeking support for the initiative from regional and international organisations to insure to "RANAA" strength, credibility, legitimacy and regular funding, through advocacy at the institutional level with a regular reporting to all members.