10:00 AM
Editor
Kathmandu, Nepal
- In collaboration with the legal apex body for the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARCLAW), UNDP, UNAIDS and the
World Bank, IDLO co-hosted a South Asian Regional Roundtable Dialogue on
HIV and the Law at the Yak and Yeti Hotel, Kathmandu from 8 - 10
November 2011.
The Roundtable was a direct follow up to the Asia Pacific Regional Dialogue of the Global Commission on HIV and Law convened by the UNDP in February 2011 in Bangkok. It supported commitments to advance human rights to reduce stigma, discrimination and violence related to HIV as well as the region-specific commitments, which were adopted, by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Resolutions 66/10 and 67/9.
Across the region, people living with HIV and populations at higher risk of exposure to HIV including men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers and people who inject drugs; routinely face human rights violations. These violations include police harassment, sexual assault and violence, as well as discrimination, job dismissal, unequal access to education, housing and reduced access to HIV treatment.
The aim of the Roundtable was to identify and analyze strategies and initiatives to address these barriers and strengthen the rights-based response to HIV in their respective countries. Seventy five delegates from seven countries across South Asia including community advocates, lawyers, judges, representatives of human rights institutions, parliamentarians and government agencies gathered in Kathmandu to discuss these issues and develop recommendations.
The Roundtable was opened by a welcome reception and formal address by the Vice President of SAARCLAW, Honourable Justice Kalayan Shrestha of the Supreme Court of Nepal, who emphasized the role of the state in the legal response to HIV, stating "No philosophy, no religion and no culture which reinforces discrimination against and denies human rights to [people living with HIV] is acceptable. The state must defend [people living with HIV]…, complacency of any form on the part of the state is also a form of discrimination".
The President of SAARCLAW, Hon. Chief Justice Sonam Tobyge of Bhutan echoed the importance of the rights of people living with HIV and key populations at higher risk of exposure to HIV, stating "the Roundtable Dialogue symbolizes the universal and eternal message of hope and joy in life to the multitude of [persons]affected by HIV in the region".
Over the following two days, participants discussed the impact of rights violations on key affected populations and shared case studies and best practice examples on how to strengthen the legal environment in South Asia. Participants also discussed how stigma, discrimination and criminalization negatively impact upon access to essential HIV related prevention, treatment, care and support.
The Roundtable concluded with a planning session in which participants worked in country groups to develop recommendations aimed at increasing engagement in national legal responses to HIV. The participants’ recommendations will be included in the Roundtable Report.
At the closing session, Hon Sapana Pradhan Malla, Member of Parliament in Nepal, congratulated delegates for the success of the meeting in her key note address. This was further echoed by one of the participants, Abdul Raheem Khan from Naz Male Health Alliance in Pakistan, who said ‘[the Roundtable] was an intensely motivating and profound learning experience for the entire group’. Another delegate, Midnight Poonkasetwatana, Coordinator of Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM), also noted: ‘it's been really useful for SAARCLAW and the civil society groups to advocate directly with people who are able to help change the law and policy environment in SAARC countries.’
The results of the Roundtable will be fed into relevant regional and global initiatives including the Global Commission on HIV and the Law and the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (29th PCB) and will be shared at the International AIDS Conference 2012.
The Roundtable was supported by the World Bank, UNDP, the Global Fund for AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria, and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) the development finance institution of OPEC member states. OFID provides financial support for socioeconomic development, particularly in low-income countries. www.ofid.org UNAIDS and the South Asian Technical Support Facility provided input and technical support for the Roundtable.
The Roundtable was a direct follow up to the Asia Pacific Regional Dialogue of the Global Commission on HIV and Law convened by the UNDP in February 2011 in Bangkok. It supported commitments to advance human rights to reduce stigma, discrimination and violence related to HIV as well as the region-specific commitments, which were adopted, by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Resolutions 66/10 and 67/9.
Across the region, people living with HIV and populations at higher risk of exposure to HIV including men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers and people who inject drugs; routinely face human rights violations. These violations include police harassment, sexual assault and violence, as well as discrimination, job dismissal, unequal access to education, housing and reduced access to HIV treatment.
The aim of the Roundtable was to identify and analyze strategies and initiatives to address these barriers and strengthen the rights-based response to HIV in their respective countries. Seventy five delegates from seven countries across South Asia including community advocates, lawyers, judges, representatives of human rights institutions, parliamentarians and government agencies gathered in Kathmandu to discuss these issues and develop recommendations.
The Roundtable was opened by a welcome reception and formal address by the Vice President of SAARCLAW, Honourable Justice Kalayan Shrestha of the Supreme Court of Nepal, who emphasized the role of the state in the legal response to HIV, stating "No philosophy, no religion and no culture which reinforces discrimination against and denies human rights to [people living with HIV] is acceptable. The state must defend [people living with HIV]…, complacency of any form on the part of the state is also a form of discrimination".
The President of SAARCLAW, Hon. Chief Justice Sonam Tobyge of Bhutan echoed the importance of the rights of people living with HIV and key populations at higher risk of exposure to HIV, stating "the Roundtable Dialogue symbolizes the universal and eternal message of hope and joy in life to the multitude of [persons]affected by HIV in the region".
Over the following two days, participants discussed the impact of rights violations on key affected populations and shared case studies and best practice examples on how to strengthen the legal environment in South Asia. Participants also discussed how stigma, discrimination and criminalization negatively impact upon access to essential HIV related prevention, treatment, care and support.
The Roundtable concluded with a planning session in which participants worked in country groups to develop recommendations aimed at increasing engagement in national legal responses to HIV. The participants’ recommendations will be included in the Roundtable Report.
At the closing session, Hon Sapana Pradhan Malla, Member of Parliament in Nepal, congratulated delegates for the success of the meeting in her key note address. This was further echoed by one of the participants, Abdul Raheem Khan from Naz Male Health Alliance in Pakistan, who said ‘[the Roundtable] was an intensely motivating and profound learning experience for the entire group’. Another delegate, Midnight Poonkasetwatana, Coordinator of Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM), also noted: ‘it's been really useful for SAARCLAW and the civil society groups to advocate directly with people who are able to help change the law and policy environment in SAARC countries.’
The results of the Roundtable will be fed into relevant regional and global initiatives including the Global Commission on HIV and the Law and the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (29th PCB) and will be shared at the International AIDS Conference 2012.
The Roundtable was supported by the World Bank, UNDP, the Global Fund for AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria, and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) the development finance institution of OPEC member states. OFID provides financial support for socioeconomic development, particularly in low-income countries. www.ofid.org UNAIDS and the South Asian Technical Support Facility provided input and technical support for the Roundtable.
Representatives from Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh
Bhutan, Maldives participated at the conference.
Source: IDLO
Further Reading: Sunday Observer
Posted in: Health / HIV
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