The role of Parliamentarians in rights based legislation comes into scrutiny beginning today as the Civil Society and Parliamentarians hold a joint workshop in Bujumbura, Burundi.
The two day workshop which takes place on Nov 30-Dec 1, 2011 is organised by the Eastern Africa National Networks of AIDS Service Organisations (EANNASO) in conjunction with EALA. The workshop themed: ‘Rights-Based Responses to HIV and AIDS in East Africa: The Role of Parliamentarians‘ takes place against a backdrop of the global commemoration of the World AIDS Day and the need to enact relevant legislation for the region to contain HIV and AIDS. Already, a draft EAC HIV & AIDS Prevention and Control Bill 2010 has been prepared and is expected to be tabled before the Assembly. The Bill seeks to provide for the prevention and management of HIV and AIDS and for the protection and promotion of the human rights of persons living with or affected by HIV and AIDS and for related matters.
The workshop aims at increasing knowledge and awareness of legislators on matters pertaining to promoting and protection of human rights as relating to HIV and AIDS and how responsive legislation can help mitigate the adverse effects of HIV and AIDS stigma, discrimination, violence and other forms of violation of rights in the region.
The two day workshop shall be opened by the Speaker of EALA, Rt. Hon Abdirahin Abdi. Other expected delegates include top Ministry of Health Officials in Burundi, Dr. Laurien Nyabienda, Chairperson, EANNASO and the Director of Private Sector and Civil Society Organisations at TradeMark East Africa, Ms. Lisa Karanja.
Rights –Based Approaches (RBA) play an inherent role in the response to HIV and AIDS and links the same to attainment of the Millennium Development Goal Number 6 in the region.
It is estimated by the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) that 71 % of countries globally had by the year 2010 initiated laws prohibiting discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS. However certain laws and policies have been reported to impede access to HIV services by certain populations, including minors.
Generally unfriendly laws and law enforcement—include those that restrict women’s equal access to education, employment, property, credit or divorce; law enforcement that can drive sex workers, and people who use drugs underground and away from HIV services. It has also been established that broad laws on the criminalization of HIV transmission do impact negatively on the overall response to the pandemic.
The situation in East Africa has been no exception over the last decade with processes of enacting laws on-course even though a number of problematic provisions have been noted.
The civil society is thus committed to identifying gaps in existing legislation in the East Africa region and is gearing to develop a campaign towards rights–based legislation working through the Regional Task Force it set up. The Task Force is chaired by EANNASO. Other organizations playing an important role in the Task Force are the East Africa Law Society, ActionAID, The Network of African People living with HIV (NAP+EAR), the Uganda Human Rights Commission, the Burundi National HIV and AIDS Commission (CNLS), the Rwanda NGO Forum on HIV and Health Promotion and the Burundi Network of AIDS Service organizations – Alliance Burundais contre le SIDA (ABS)
The workshop shall among other things ensure Increase in the capacity of legislators at the regional level to understand and articulate the Rights –Based responses to HIV and AIDS. It is expected that legislators shall also embrace and actualize Rights –Based Approaches to the response to HIV and AIDS.
NOTE TO EDITORS
EANNASO is an umbrella regional network comprising of national networks of AIDS Service Organisations (ASOs). EANNASO’s mandate is to facilitate effective joint advocacy, networking and information sharing among its member national networks in seven (7) Eastern Africa countries namely Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia and Sudan. EANNASO’s vision is an empowered Civil Society effectively contributing to Eastern Africa region enjoying a quality of life free of the HIV and AIDS epidemic and its associated impacts. The Network was established and mandated by the national networks to the regional voice of civil society organizations fighting HIV and AIDS.
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For More Information contact: Bobi Odiko, Senior Public Relations Officer, East African Legislative Assembly | AICC Building, Ngorongoro Wing, 2nd Floor, P.O. Box 1096 Arusha, Tanzania | Tel: +255-27-2508240, Cell: +255-787-870945 +254-733-718036 | Email: BOdiko@eachq.org
