Commonwealth law reform: THANK YOU! THIS ACTION HAS NOW

Thank you for taking action to demand reform of discriminatory laws that undermine HIV treatment and prevention.

This unjust legislation includes laws which discriminate against people living with HIV, or criminalise drug users, sex workers and homosexual or transgender people.

Together we sent over 18,000 emails and letters to Commonwealth Ministers of Foreign Affairs, putting unprecedented pressure on the Commonwealth and its institutions to make legal reforms for a better response to HIV.

With your help we have succeeded again!

Foreign Affairs Ministers from across the Commonwealth met in New York on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly last Saturday (29 September 2012) and agreed to adopt in full the outstanding recommendations of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG).

Thanks to your support the recommendation to “take steps to encourage the repeal of laws that may impede the effective response of Commonwealth countries to the HIV/AIDS epidemic” has been taken seriously.

This was by far the most contentious recommendation made by the EPG. We are grateful that with your help we managed to get it through.

It is vital now to maintain momentum as we move into the implementation stage of the Commonwealth reform process. Our next challenge is to ensure that the Commonwealth Secretariat include this work in their organisational strategic plan which they are currently developing.

To find out more on the Commonwealth Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting in New York please read:
Ministers take steps to strengthen the Commonwealth
Foreign Ministers agree on Draft Commonwealth Charter and EPG Recommendations

This action was supported by Peter Tatchell Foundation, Terrence Higgins Trust, Alliance India, Alliance Uganda and Alliance Linking Organisations across the Commonwealth including the Alliance Zambia, Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA), Kenya AIDS NGO Consortium (KANCO), the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) and the Network on Ethics/Human Rights, Law, HIV/AIDS Prevention, Support and Care (NELA) in Nigeria.