Exclusion Kills: New York, Tuesday 7th June
A coalition of 49 civil society organisations attending the High Level Meeting on Ending AIDS in New York make the following press release:
Russia has broken the silence to reopen the negotiation of the draft political declaration, based formally on a process issue.
Civil society organisations had already asked progressive states to reopen the negotiation themselves to secure essential progress on key populations (men who have sex with men; sex workers; people who use drugs; and transgender people).
The current version of the political declaration includes important new ambitious commitments such as delivering treatment to 30 million people by the year 2020, as well as bold new commitments by all member states to accelerate HIV prevention, treatment, realise human rights and address gender-based violence. These areas of progress make the regressive action by some politicians in excluding realisation of the rights of and denying programming access for gay men and other criminalised populations all the more stark and unacceptable.
According to UNAIDS by 2020 we need to provide tailored services for 16 million men who have sex with men, 7.5 million people who use drugs, 1 million transgender women and 13 million female sex workers. The coalition of 49 civil society organisations are united in our call to all member states to take this critical opportunity to secure:
- Much stronger commitments for funding and tailored service access for key populations; including harm reduction
- Existing language on human rights, gender equality and women and girls;
- Strengthened language on comprehensive sexuality education and sexual rights,
- Strengthened language on funding for civil society
We know this won’t be easy because conservative countries (like Russia, Iran, Indonesia, Cameroon, Egypt, and a group of Gulf States) will try to weaken the document further. However, we call on all member states to deliver a political declaration and financial commitments that will make reaching the fast track 2020 target and the final goal of ending aids as a Public health threat by 2030 a reality. The coalition of civil society organisations sending this press release includes:
African Black Global Diaspora Network on `HIV and AIDS
African Services Committee
AIDES (France)
AIDS-Fondet/The Danish AIDS Foundation
AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA)
The American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
APCASO
APCOM
Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN)
Balance Promocion para el Desarrollo y Juventud
CAPPSIDA A.C.
Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC)
The Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE)
Coalition for Children Affected by AIDS
Coalition Plus
Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation
Dignitas International
Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM)
European AIDS Treatment Group
Gestos-Brazil
Global Action on Trans Equality (GATE)
Global Fund Advocates Network Asia-Pacific (GFAN AP)
GNP+
Harm Reduction International
Health GAP
ICAD (Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development)
ICASO
I.C.W.-LATINA
IDPC
India HIV/AIDS Alliance
INSPIRA CAMBIO A.C.
Interculturalidad Salud y Derechos
International AIDS Society
International Civil Society Support
International HIV/AIDS Alliance
ITPC-MENA
ITPC
LACCASO – The Latin American Council of AIDS Organizations MSM GF
MSM GF
National Network Of Sex Workers, (India)
Pangaea
Positive Vibes Trust
RED MEXICANA DE REDUCCION DE DANOS A.C.
Salud por Derecho
SANGRAM
STOPAIDS (UK)
StopVIH (Venezuela)
WomenforGlobal Fund (W4GF)
Youth Voices Count