Events 2008
11 December 2008: HIV/AIDS and Human Rights
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (December 10th) and World AIDS Day on December 1st, Stop AIDS Alliance, in collaboration with the EP Working Group on Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and Development (EPWG), is organising a hearing at the European Parliament titled: HIV/AIDS and Human Rights: Increased EU leadership in promoting human rights in the global response to HIV/AIDS, on the 11th of December hosted by the Hon. Mr. Thijs Berman, MEP (PES, NL). This event will bring together programme and policy experts in three issues regarding human rights and HIV: the right to freedom from stigma and discrimination, the right to Universal Access to HIV prevention, treatment and care, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of people living with HIV, in a special meeting at the European Parliament from 9:00-12:30 with a reception afterwards.
17 sept 2008: After UNGASS and Mexico, a focus on results?
Organised by Stop Aids Alliance, UNAIDS and MSI and Chaired by Sophie In’t Veld, in this meeting Marielle Hart (Stop Aids Alliance), Henning Mikkelsen (DG DEV), Denis Haveaux (UNAIDS) and Thijs Berman (MEP; PES) presented their views on the UNGASS and the XVII International AIDS conference in Mexico. They highlighted the outcomes on behalf of their different sectors and the role these actors play in implementing the commitments made. The meeting focused specifically on three focal areas, namely: Linking the response to HIV/AIDS to health systems strengthening (HSS); Financing to facilitate achieving Universal Access, in particular for key populations and the right to access, in particular for key populations These three focal areas were also identified as key challenges in scaling up toward universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. In order to achieve this, sufficient, sustainable and predictable financing must be provided by the donor community. For the minutes, click here.
13 May 2008- Expert Lunch 'Fractured Lives in Fragile Situations. Is Aid Effective?'
On the 13th of May, the EPWG brought together key field, governmental and civil society experts in a successful lunch expert meeting entitled ‘Fractured Lives in Fragile Situations: is Aid Effective?’ The specific objective of the meeting was to provide inputs for the Accra High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in
September 2008, roundtable 7 on Situat ions of Fragility and to highlight the importance of RH services and supplies in fragile situations. Speakers included Dr. Grace Kodindo from Chad for the RAISE initiative, Mr. Van Hattum, DG ECHO, Mr. Garay, DG DEV, Hon. Glenys Kinnock MEP and Hon. Anne Van Lancker MEP.
As a follow-up to this meeting, the key recommendations will be given to the organisers of Roundtable 7 in Accra: France, the African Development Bank and OECD. All participants will receive the recommendations, together with a copy of the BBC Documentary ‘Dead Mums Don’t Cry’, which shows Dr. Grace Kodindo’s work in Chad and the consequences of lacking RH supplies.
For the agenda of the event, click here
For the summary report with recommendations, click here
For the list of participants, click here
For Mr. Juan Garay's presentation, click here
4 March 2008: EPWG Event on Abstinence
The EPWG hosted a roundtable discussion entitled “Abstinence: The Politics of Denials” on 4 March.
The main aim of the conference was to link the available research on abstinence to the effects of abstinence based policies in practice. The conference started with the screening of the short documentary “Abstaining from reality: U.S Restrictions on HIV Prevention”, produced by Population Action International.
Speakers included: Dr Kristen Underhill, from the Centre for Evidence-based Intervention of the University of Oxford, who presented the results of research conducted on different kinds of abstinence-based programmes; Prof. Marleen Temmerman, Director of the International Center for Reproductive Health of the University of Ghent, who provided a general description of sexual and reproductive health and rights; Ms. Sara Formisano, from Marie Stopes International London, who presented the case-study of Bolivia, underlying the main limitations and consequences of abstinence policies on both family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention and Ms. Sietske Steneker, Director of the UNFPA Office in Brussels who presented the ABC approach, as interpreted and practiced by UNPFA; Gabriela Cretu MEP, who stressed that SHRH is mainly an issue of women rights and strongly recommended a more active role for the EP in this sector.
Anne Van Lancker MEP closed the conference by stating that the EU should take a more pro-active and united position on this issue, in order to defend and promote the right to be adequately informed and to have a protected sexual life.
For the summary report of the event click here
For the Agenda, click here
