Jamaica’s Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck (third left) poses for a photo at yesterday’s start of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) Regional Parliamentarians Forum with (from left) Dr Elsie Laurence-Chounoune, deputy resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme in Jamaica; Dr John Edward Greene, UN Secretary General Special Envoy for HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean; Dereck Springer, director of the PANCAP; Dr Carolyn Gomes, executive director of Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition; and Dr César Núñez, regional director of UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Latin America and the Caribbean
THE two-day Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) Regional Parliamentarians Forum commenced in Kingston on Tuesday with a stirring keynote address by Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck.The minister addressed the need for parliamentarians to engage in more advocacy for people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS at the policymaking level.
“We, the parliamentarians, need to act as advocates for people affected by HIV,” Minister Chuck said, adding, “We need to engage with all stakeholders, including the faith-based organisations, to rethink some of the beliefs that isolate the key populations which are most affected by HIV transmission. We, the parliamentarians, have an obligation to lead the way in protecting the weak and vulnerable.”
Chuck underscored the high prevalence of HIV transmission among men who have sex with men: “The high prevalence of HIV among this key population is very alarming and we must rethink how we deal with this key population. The continued spread of HIV within any population is a threat to public health. We must be cognisant of this and take urgent action. Parliament must prioritise reducing stigma and discrimination toward people most vulnerable to HIV transmission.”
He emphasised the role of the faith-based community and urged the parliamentarians and other stakeholders present to embrace the power of the religious community and utilise their influence to reach weak and vulnerable communities.
“We must not underestimate the influence of faith leaders; this can be a powerful tool for ending HIV and AIDS. We, the parliamentarians, can take the lead and join forces with key stakeholders to support people living with HIV and advocate for policies which seek to reduce HIV transmission and end deaths from AIDS.”
The minister’s keynote address formed a significant segment of the opening ceremony of the PANCAP Regional Parliamentarians Forum, which is a platform for parliamentarians from across the Caribbean region to discuss their involvement in ending HIV and AIDS. Government ministers and members of the Opposition participated.
Selected key population leaders from the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition, Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities, Caribbean Sex Work Coalition, the Caribbean Network of People Living with HIV (CRN+), and UN partners also attended the forum.
A release from PANCAP Coordinating Unit yesterday said the focus of the forum was a discussion on the targets of the Political Declaration of June 2016 and the implications for parliaments in the Caribbean. Parliamentarians established the foundations for increased engagement with national parliaments and national Parliamentary Committees on Health/Social Protection and on Justice, especially in countries such as Belize, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, which have higher HIV prevalence rates.
The forum, which is funded by the Global Fund and facilitated by the PANCAP Coordinating Unit and the United Nations Development Programme, formed part of a wider intervention programme created by PANCAP within its Justice For All Roadmap.
The release said it is expected that the discussions between regional parliamentarians, civil society representatives and other stakeholders will result in the formation of strategic steps which can be implemented by parliamentarians to increase advocacy for people living with and affected by HIV at the highest level.