UN Leaders Against HIV Prosecutions
posted: 01/07/2009
United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon has spoken out for the first time against the criminalisation of HIV transmission.
Speaking at the HIV/AIDS review during the 63rd United Nations General Assembly, held in New York in mid June, Mr. Ban spoke out about laws and policies that criminalised people with, and at risk of, HIV. He ended his speech by stating:
More tolerance, compassion and inclusion, not prosecutions
"In recent years, a growing number of countries have taken steps to criminalise HIV transmission. In theory, this has been done to prevent the spread of infection. In practice, it has done the opposite – reducing the effectiveness of HIV prevention efforts by reinforcing the stigma. Such measures send the message that people living with HIV are a danger to society. We must instead encourage tolerance, compassion and inclusion."
The Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+) joined Mr Ban's call to end HIV-related stigma and discrimination, and highlighted similar calls from UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, who said, in his speech to the Meeting of the Programme Coordinating Board, held in Geneva on June 23th that
"punitive laws that discriminate against men who have sex with men, sex workers, injecting drug users, migrants and people living with HIV must be removed from the statute books, country by country."
Judges, Lawyers, Politicians unite
The global movement against criminalisation of HIV transmission received its biggest boost since the International AIDS Conference in Mexico last July. In rallies and meetings in Australia, Canada and Sweden leading judges, lawyers and politicians joined with HIV-positive advocates and civil society organisations to condemn the criminal justice system's current approach to HIV non-disclosure, exposure and transmission. Read more about this at aidsmap
Source
Permalink