In a region where more than 600,000 young people are living with HIV and new HIV infections are on the rise among young people in a number of countries, there is no room for a business as usual approach.
Ensuring that young people are meaningfully engaged as strategic partners, and their issues are reflected in country-level planning, financing and programming is the focus of an upcoming Youth Caucus ahead of the Asia Pacific Intergovernmental Meeting on HIV and AIDS (IGM).
The IGM, held from 28-30 January at ESCAP headquarters in Bangkok, will review the progress of ESCAP resolutions 66/10 and 67/9, as well as the 2011 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS. Government representatives from throughout Asia-Pacific will analyze successes and shortcomings as well as discuss ways forward in addressing the legal and policy barriers to universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and support at the IGM.
Youth LEAD, the Asia-Pacific network of young key populations, will host a Youth Caucus two days prior to the IGM. The caucus will bring together 35 young people from, or working with, key populations at higher risk of HIV exposure (young men who have sex with men, young transgender people, young people who inject drugs, young people who sell sex and young people living with HIV) from across the Asia-Pacific region, including youth delegates from national delegations and community service organization representatives.
The ultimate goal of the caucus is for this group speak in one voice at the IGM, delivering a clear call to action to governments throughout the region on the neglected issues and needs of young key populations. The declaration will be read at the CSO Forum and will be presented at the IGM Opening Performance and will provide an input into the progress report document.
UNESCO Bangkok Director Gwang-Jo Kim will officially open the Youth Caucus.
The Youth Caucus is co-funded by UNESCO, UNFPA and UNAIDS.
For more on the meeting, please click here
For more on Youth LEAD, please go to here
Contact: Thaw Zin Aye, Youth LEAD Regional Coordinator at thaw@youth-lead.org