Guatemala, June 17 2001

Dr. Peter Piot
Executive Director, UNAIDS
Geneva, Switzerland

Dear Dr. Piot,

The Organizing Committee of the II Central American Congress on AIDS (CONCASIDA) wishes to extend you an invitation to attend this important meeting.

As you know and have reported to the Programme Coordinating Board, Central America is being hardly hit by HIV/AIDS and its impact is increasing alarmingly. You have also indicated that Central America is the next priority region in Latin America and the Caribbean, and that efforts and wills have to be mobilised and scaled up in order to diminishits the impact of HIV/AIDS.

On the bright side, civil societies in the region, have mobilised against the epidemic. International cooperation is particularly active in the region. UNAIDS Theme Groups are functioning in some countries. Political will and political leaders have shown some positive signs to combat the epidemic, but much more needs to be done in order to operationalise strategic plans, to mobilise human and financial resources, and to scale up the response to the epidemic.

With this in mind, the Organising Committee of the II Concasida would very much appreciate and be honoured by your attending this conference. The Congress takes place from 13 to 17 November 2001 in Guatemala City at the Camino Real Convention Center. You would have to arrive in Guatemala on 13 November and the inaguration is on November 14.

The proposed agenda is:

1. Inaugural speech.
2. Meeting with UNAIDS Theme Gruops, National AIDS Program Directors and Civil Societies
3. Meeting with Guatemalan Minister of Health.
4. Meeting with Guatemalan and Central American parlamentarians.
5. Meeting with very high level political leaders and decision makers.
6. Meeting with potential funders and the international cooperation.


We hope to count with your presence. Central America needs your help in order to set AIDS at a high place in its political agenda.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Rubén Mayorga
President, II Concasida
NGO Delegate from Latin America and Caribbean to the UNAIDS PCB
Executive Director, Organización de Apoyo a una Sexualidad Integral frente
al SIDA, OASIS
6 Avenida 1-63 Zona 1
Guatemala 01001 GUATEMALA
Tel + (502) 220-1332 / 253-3453
Fax + (502) 232-1021
E-mail oasisgua@terra.com.gt / oasisgua@intelnet.net.gt