The XVI International AIDS Conference was held in Toronto, Ontario, during the week of 13–18 August 2006. This was the third time that Canada has hosted the International AIDS Conference, after Montreal in 1989 and Vancouver in 1996. The main venue for the conference was the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) in downtown Toronto. The conference theme was Time to Deliver. The conference was focused on the promises and progress made to scale-up treatment, care and prevention.
In particular:
- Accelerating research to end the epidemic
- Expanding and sustaining human resources to scale-up treatment and prevention
- Intensifying the involvement of affected communities
- Building new leadership to advance the response
Activities included cultural, youth and outreach programmes as well as a Global Village, which served as an international gathering place with displays of culture, food, community, and a marketplace.
Events open to delegates and the public included The International AIDS Vigil, a public memorial to all those who have died of HIV/AIDS. The Vigil took place on at 9 pm on 17 August at Yonge-Dundas Square, Toronto.
Well-known attendees and speakers included Governor General Michaëlle Jean, Stephen Lewis (the United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa), Bill and Melinda Gates (for the Gates Foundation), Richard Gere, Alicia Keys, and Bill Clinton.