Feature Story

UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador HRH Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
Credit: UNAIDS/Anna Rauchenberger

UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador HRH Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway, joined UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management and External Relations Branch, Ms Jan Beagle and Dr Julio Montaner, International Chair of the XVIII International AIDS Conference and President of the International AIDS Society in welcoming young participants to the Youth Pavilion at XVIII International AIDS Conference.

UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management and External Relations Branch, Ms Jan Beagle
Credit: UNAIDS/Anna Rauchenberger

HRH Mette-Marit, who has made the needs of young people her primary focus as UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador encouraged the young delegates saying, “We need to recognize youth as global citizens instrumental in understanding and driving the change that is needed in the new AIDS response... Make it happen now!”

With a message of support Ms Jan Beagle said, UNAIDS is committed to create a movement of young people as change agents for a new generation of leadership in the AIDS response.

In the coming week a series of Pavilion Talks will take place to enhance cooperation between young people and scientists, activists and other high-level stakeholders.
Credit: UNAIDS/Anna Rauchenberger

“UNAIDS is committed to empower young people, providing them space to inform our policy and programming and to inspire UNAIDS with a youth spirit,” said Ms Beagle.

The Youth Pavilion is an interactive space in the Global Village of AIDS 2010 for young people to showcase projects and performances, and meet delegates, plenary speakers and decision-makers.

The Opening Ceremony was highly interactive and included a flash mob event where young people throughout the Global Village put on YouthForce T-Shirts and moved en masse towards the Youth Pavilion.

The opening was co-chaired by the Youth Programme Working Group Co-Chairs Liping Mian (China) and Korey Anthony Chisholm (Guyana) who talked about the global HIV youth movement and introduced the youth activities during AIDS 2010 including the AIDS 2010 Youth Programme and Vienna YouthForce activities.  

They also introduced the “3 HRs” campaign promote human rights, harm reduction and health resources as a framework to achieve HIV services for young people. By highlighting these “3 HRs” to policy experts and decision-makers in the coming week, young people hope to highlight their needs in the AIDS response.

Pavilion Talks

In the coming week a series of Pavilion Talks will take place to enhance cooperation between young people and scientists, activists and other high-level stakeholders. These will be designed by young people and provide space for questions and discussion. It will be opened each day by a youth rapporteur who will present the highlights of the previous day and give a brief summary of the morning plenary session.