“Stigmatisation and discrimination are the two largest obstacles to developing the work with HIV and AIDS, while good leadership at
all levels is the most important helping factor.”
This was the overall conclusion at the international workshop “Standing up for HIV Prevention” held in Stockholm on 4-5 June. The purpose of the workshop was to find ways for practical co-operation, using the experiences from the 100 or so government and civil society participants from 23 countries in Europe & Asia. The workshop, focusing on prevention and young people, was organised by the Swedish Government, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the National Board of Health and Welfare within the framework of the ASEM co-operation. Co-sponsors and activesupporters were the Netherlands, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Background
At the 5th ASEM Summit (ASEM5) in Hanoi on 8-9 October 2004, ASEM leaders expressed their concerns that the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, through its scale and impact, constitutes a global emergency. They noted that HIV/AIDS provides a formidable challenge to human life and dignity, undermining social and economic development throughout the world and affecting all levels of society. The leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the Declaration of Commitment issued at the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS) in 2001 and they agreed that the fight against HIV/AIDS should feature in the framework of ASEM co-operation.
The first step of this commitment was the 1st ASEM workshop on HIV/AIDS in Ho Chi Minh City 22-23 November 2005 organised by the Vietnamese Government in cooperation with the governments of the Netherlands, the Philippines and Sweden and with technical assistance from UNAIDS in Viet Nam. The title of the workshop “Learning from each other and moving forward – Asia and Europe together in the fight against HIV/AIDS” was highlighting the need to cooperate and collaborate with neighbouring nations, as well as discuss HIV/AIDS as a part of a regional response to effectively confront the epidemic.
