MPact staff attended every week of the COP Reviews, supporting national-level key populations advocates and working in solidarity with global civil society, fighting to change harmful policies, and pushing for robust budget commitments to gay men and other key populations. Here are the major issues that shaped the dialogue on key populations.

Week two of the COP20 meetings focused on Angola, Botswana, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. AVAC was there, along with civil society partners from the Advocacy Core Team—the Zimbabwe country team from COMPASS as well as GALZ and other activists from Zimbabwe. Here are some highlights, issues and what was won in week two.

The first week of COP20 meetings focused on PEPFAR countries in West Africa and Ukraine. AVAC was there, along with civil society partners from around the world, to make change in real time. We are there to hear the fresh program data, PEPFAR’s plans for addressing gaps, but most importantly to influence outcomes and plans through the filter of our prevention lens and our partners’ priorities.

George Ayala, MPact Executive Director writes 10 top tips for advocates watchdogging the U.S. 2020 COPs processes.

MPact Global Action for Gay Men’s Health & Rights advises all LGBT-led community-based organizations, networks of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, and community members to never disclose sexual partners and/or needle-sharing partners to healthcare providers, counselors, or others if you feel this disclosure will put you or them at risk for adverse events.

Kenya’s COP19 is deeply imperfect. We also know it could have been much worse—and that $2.4 million funding increase for key population programs came thanks to advocacy and watchdogging. We will be closely tracking COP19 implementation and will raise the alarm if and when PEPFAR’s ill-advised funding cut negatively affects HIV positive people, writes Maureen Milanga from Health GAP.

Our message is simple: Fix the program, restore the planned funding surge, and intensify consultations with the South African government and HIV activists to identify the root causes behind people disengaging from care and fund meaningful responses to address these, write Anele Yawa and Lotti Rutter

The most important lesson of the COP 2019 planning process so far, is that nothing that has been accomplished so far can be taken for granted as a victory—we must continue to track these promises every step of the way—and hold PEPFAR, national governments, and the Global Fund accountable for their obligations to people living with HIV and their communities, writes Health GAP.

While some countries in East and Southern Africa are cautiously hopeful about achieving ‘epidemic control,’ the AIDS response in Mozambique is drastically off track. Strong activism led by people with HIV and marginalized communities heavily impacted by the epidemic is vital to turn this crisis around, writes Asia Russell from Health GAP.