A/HRC/10/47
page 14
legal, policy, administrative and other measures to reduce the vulnerability of youth to HIV.9
The other resolution urges Governments, donors and UNAIDS to expand efforts to address
inequality and inequity between men and women, gender-based violence, stigma, discrimination,
deficiencies in sexual and reproductive health and the lack of respect for human rights as major
factors that heighten vulnerability to HIV.10 In addition, the priority theme of the Commission on
the Status of Women in 2009 will be “the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and
men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS” and the 2009 high-level segment of
ECOSOC will also address the issue of “implementing the internationally agreed goals and
commitment in regard to global public health”.
F. United Nations Department of Public Information
36. Through its network of 63 information centres, the United Nations Department of Public
Information (DPI) has engaged various groups advocating the protection of the human rights of
women, children and vulnerable groups who are either HIV-positive or orphans as a result of
AIDS. United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) in Accra, Brussels, Bujumbura, Dakar,
Moscow, and Nairobi have led or participated in seminars, workshops and panel discussions that
sought to address gender equality and the empowerment of women and youth. Other UNICs
have raised awareness on topical issues such as PMTCT, gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS,
and HIV-related human rights concerns of young people.
G. United Nations Development Fund for Women
37. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) integrates gender equality
and women’s rights perspectives into its work on HIV. This has involved the development of
strategies that make clear the links between HIV and violence against women, feminized poverty
and women’s limited voice in decision-making. The United Nations Trust Fund in Support of
Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women, managed by UNIFEM, is funding a first-ever
global learning initiative on how to address the linkages between violence against women and
HIV/AIDS. In addition, a number of guidance documents and capacity-building tools have been
developed aimed at protecting the rights of women in the context of HIV which include guidance
on applying the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
in designing responses to HIV and a course for practitioners on integrating HIV and violence
against women in programming and policies.
H. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
38. In its contribution, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) referred to a guidance tool they developed in 2006 to ensure the protection of
refugees, internally displaced persons and other persons of concern in relation to HIV, which
covers discrimination; access to HIV and AIDS health care; access to asylum procedures;
protection from arbitrary detention and unlawful restrictions on freedom of movement; respect
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ECOSOC resolution 2007/27.
ECOSOC resolution 2007/32.
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