From 23 to 26 September 2011, the XV ERNA General Meeting was held in Slovenia, hosted by the Slovenian Red Cross. The theme of the meeting was “Humanitarian Diplomacy, HIV and TB”. Established in Rome in 1998 with the aim of coordinating the sharing of experiences, transfer of best practices and the promotion of collaborative efforts among National Societies of the European region, the European Red Cross Red Crescent Network on HIV, AIDS and TB currently gathers 40 National Societies from Europe. 

There were 62 representatives from 25 National Societies of Europe and Central Asia, the IFRC Europe Zone and Geneva offices, GNP+, the Belarus PLHIV network, WHO, UNODC, and other partners.The conference provided a moment of reflection on the state of affairs in the Europe Zone with regards to the work done in humanitarian diplomacy on HIV, TB and drug use by National Societies with their respective governments, as well as policy- and decision-makers. It also provided the occasion to present the recently concluded formal evaluation of ERNA since its formation in 1998, based on the terms of reference developed during the last annual meeting in Minsk, in September 2010.
Anna Zagainova, a Technical Support Group Director of the Russian Red Cross Recourse Center, which is located in the office of the Russian Red Cross Irkutsk Oblast branch, participated in the ERNA meeting and made a PowerPoint presentation on the Concept of the Recourse Center and Russian Red Cross Irkutsk Oblast branch. Since 2003, Russian Red Cross Irkutsk Oblast branch staff has participated practically in each of the ERNA annual meetings, speaking about on-going activities and sharing experience in the sphere of counteracting HIV. Irkutsk Oblast branch experience has always drawn a vivid interest of RC\RC National Society representatives. At the same time, the Russian Red Cross Irkutsk Oblast branch staff has an opportunity of learning interesting experience, new ideas and exchange opinions with colleagues from other countries, which, without a doubt, raises the qualification and facilitates the quality improvement of provided services to target audiences.
(Some information is extrapolated from the Newsletter of the IFRXC/RC, № 5, October, 2011)