With reference to the United Nations Human
Rights Council Resolution 12/27 on "the promotion and protection of
human rights in the context of HIV and AIDS", you are invited to
share input to the Secretary General's report, on the steps taken to
promote and implement programmes to address HIV/AIDS-related human rights
by responding to the questionnaire, below.
Send your responses by 15 September 2010, in Word-format to: HR&HIVconsultation@ohchr.org
Background:
Human Rights Council resolution 12/27 "The
promotion and protection of human rights in the context of the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS)", in paragraph 17, requested the Secretary General to prepare
"an analytical study based on comments from Governments, United
Nations organs, programmes and specialized agencies, particularly the
Joint United Nations Programmes on HIV/AIDS and its co-sponsor agencies,
in cooperation with relevant bodies of the United Nations system,
including the Office of the High Commissioner and international and
non-governmental organization, on the steps taken to promote and
implement programmes to address HIV/AIDS-related human rights".
Questionnaire on human rights
challenges and responses in the context of HIV and AIDS
1. General (Maximum 200 words). Are human
rights, including but not limited to the rights to non-discrimination,
privacy, health, education and information, explicitly incorporated in
your existing national plan or national strategy on HIV and AIDS?
Please cite the relevant text.
2. Challenges: main human rights challenges in the realization of
universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support (Maximum
600 words)
2.1. Identify at least 3 key human rights
challenges and the population groups particularly affected by these
challenges.
2.2 For each of the three key challenges
identified, describe: (i) the main causes of these challenges, (ii) the
actors that have a role to play in addressing these challenges and, (iii)
the factors that may prevent them from taking effective action (capacity
and institutional gaps).
N.B.: the human rights challenges to be considered may include, but are
not limited to:
-Limited participation of vulnerable groups,
including people living with HIV, persons with disabilities, and women
and girls in a socio-economically and marginalised position, in
formulating and implementing a national response to HIV
-Lack of access to health care services and
goods, including those necessary for prevention of mother-to-child
transmission, anti-retroviral treatment (ART) for HIV infection, and
treatment for opportunistic infections
-Gender-based violence, in particular against
women and girls in socially and economically vulnerable situations
-Discrimination and stigmatisation of people
living with HIV and other vulnerable groups in society
-Breach of confidentiality and violation of the
right to privacy of people living with HIV
-HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay and
residence
-Criminalisation of HIV transmission or exposure
-Protection of the rights of children who are
orphaned or made vulnerable by AIDS, including the right to alternative
care, inheritance, access to paediatric ART
-Protection of the rights of persons with disabilities,
including the right to information about HIV, and right to
non-discrimination
3. Response (Maximum 600 words)
3.1. Please describe key legal, policy,
programming, budgeting or other measures in place to address the
challenges faced by those groups or populations more severely affected by
HIV, as well as the measures being taken to overcome the capacity and
institutional gaps described in question 2.
3.2 Please indicate whether affected persons
participated in the design, implementation and evaluation of these
policies, programmes or measures. If so, please describe the
participation process.
4. Achievements (Maximum 300 words)
What are your most significant human rights
achievements in the national HIV response? Please describe briefly how
these achievements came about and the lessons learnt from the experience.
