Bangkok – Across Asia, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people continue to face rights violations because of their sexual orientation and gender identity and weak knowledge of local legal systems impact on their ability to file formal complaints, or seek justice or legal redress.
On 11 December 2013, the Supreme Court of India overruled the 4-year old decision of the Delhi High Court, which had struck down India’s anti-sodomy law, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. As former members of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, we write to convey our great dismay at this regressive step taken to dismantle a beacon of human rights articulation that was the Delhi High Court judgment.
Representatives from government, academia and community based organisations met in Beijing this week for a consultation on HIV and the law. The meeting, organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), China’s Renmin University, and the China Red Ribbon Beijing Forum on HIV and Rights, looked at the positive and negative impacts of existing laws on China’s response to HIV. Particular focus was given to populations most affected by HIV, including men who have sex with men, sex workers and people who inject drugs. The meeting was held at China’s Renmin University, and with support from UNAIDS, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS.
Santo Domingo.— El Consejo Nacional para el VIH y el Sida (CONAVIHSIDA) y el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) presentaron el Informe del Diálogo Nacional sobre VIH y Derechos, que contiene testimonios de violación a los derechos de las personas que viven con VIH en la República Dominicana.
The South Asia Regional Advocacy Framework and Resource Guide was developed to assist organizations in South Asia to work together on advocacy priorities for removing the legal and policy barriers that prevent MSM and transgender people from enjoying the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, particularly in relation to access to HIV prevention, treatment and care. It is focused as much on governments and national AIDS Programmes as it is on community organizations, as partnerships between governments and civil society have proven to be an effective vehicle for change in this area. It provides the background commitments, guidelines and evidence that can support advocacy efforts and a process that groups and individuals can follow to identify what needs to change, who they can work in partnership with and what strategies they can use.