Series of dialogues in Brazil culminates with a National Dialogue on HIV and the law in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro

Published on Wednesday, 27 November 2013 07:39 As a follow up to the report of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, UNDP has launched a series of local level national dialogues on HIV and the Law in Brazil.

Dialogues were held in Curitiba, focusing on access to justice, and in Porto Alegre, which dealt with the question of criminalization of HIV transmission. The series of interactive dialogues culminated in a National Dialogue on HIV and the Law in the city of Niterói in Rio de Janeiro on 26 and 27 November 2013.

The discussions covered issues such as human rights violations, stigma and discrimination and the criminalization of people living with HIV. Nearly 300 human rights activists, students, legal and HIV experts, as well as members of the Government, participated at this two day event organized by UNDP in partnership with the non governmental organization ‘Pela Vidda Niterói’ and health institutes. The National Dialogue, which coincided with the third ‘National Seminar for the Promotion of Human Rights in the Context of HIV and AIDS’, addressed the important link between HIV and the law.

Speaking about health and human rights, Federal Judge Roger Raupp Rios explained that, “If legal practices can contribute to more effective social responses towards HIV it is possible for the epidemic to overcome exclusive conceptions and legal categories, as such breaking mechanisms of inequality and injustice spread all over the law and the whole of society.” The dialogue also examined new challenges in HIV prevention and care, with one speaker stressing the importance of the right to information for all in prevention efforts. The second part of the dialogue focused on stigma and discrimination and the importance of human rights considerations, with examples taken from work settings.

The recommendations contained in the report of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law were presented as an effective way to reach enabling legal environments for effective HIV responses. The series of dialogues will lead to the launch of a Dialogue Report in 2014 summarizing the discussions and experiences on HIV and human rights and other topics addressed in the dialogues.

For more information, see Especialistas e militantes discutem direitos humanos e HIV/AIDS em Niterói (UNDP Brazil).