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9 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 30/2001
Global industrial unions today called for a new world body at ministerial level "with a broad brief to cover all aspects of HIV/AIDS policy and strategy".
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has made a global strategic review essential, says the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). Meeting in Brussels today, its Executive called for the creation of a ministerial-level Intergovernmental Standing Committee (IGSC) on HIV/AIDS.
"The UN has begun to tackle the HIV/AIDS issue, particularly as regards the provision of assistance to African countries," ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs said today. But "this is an inadequate approach," he insisted. "It would be a mistake to concentrate on just one region, as this could deny funds to others in equal need. HIV/AIDS is a global problem which must be solved through global coordination."
The IGSC should have "a small permanent secretariat (say 3-4 persons)," the ICEM suggests, and could perhaps be based at the headquarters of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva.
Priority issues would be:
EQUITY in access to medicines and medical infrastructure; in the balance between patent protection and the right to produce and market generics (cut-price "copy drugs"); and in human rights.
CAPACITY - notably in relation to the economic situation of individual HIV/AIDS sufferers and of governments, and to production capacity for HIV/AIDS medicines.
COORDINATION of HIV/AIDS-related activities, ranging from the local to the international level.
COMMITMENT - by governments, by the pharmaceutical industry, by trade unions representing HIV/AIDS-affected workers and their families, by the international financial community and by international agencies and organisations involved in addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
The IGSC would also need to "engage with international experts and with key stakeholder organisations," the ICEM points out. These include the WHO, UNAIDS, the World Bank, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the pharmaceutical industry and union internationals, notably the ICEM and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).
The ICEM has particular interests in the HIV/AIDS issue. It represents the world's pharmaceutical workers. Another of its sectors is mining. An especially serious HIV/AIDS problem arises from the widespread use of hostels to house male mineworkers - either unmarried or separated from their families. Today, the ICEM again called on mining companies to end the "hostel mentality" and provide proper accommodation, including for families.
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has made a global strategic review essential, says the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). Meeting in Brussels today, its Executive called for the creation of a ministerial-level Intergovernmental Standing Committee (IGSC) on HIV/AIDS.
"The UN has begun to tackle the HIV/AIDS issue, particularly as regards the provision of assistance to African countries," ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs said today. But "this is an inadequate approach," he insisted. "It would be a mistake to concentrate on just one region, as this could deny funds to others in equal need. HIV/AIDS is a global problem which must be solved through global coordination."
The IGSC should have "a small permanent secretariat (say 3-4 persons)," the ICEM suggests, and could perhaps be based at the headquarters of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva.
Priority issues would be:
EQUITY in access to medicines and medical infrastructure; in the balance between patent protection and the right to produce and market generics (cut-price "copy drugs"); and in human rights.
CAPACITY - notably in relation to the economic situation of individual HIV/AIDS sufferers and of governments, and to production capacity for HIV/AIDS medicines.
COORDINATION of HIV/AIDS-related activities, ranging from the local to the international level.
COMMITMENT - by governments, by the pharmaceutical industry, by trade unions representing HIV/AIDS-affected workers and their families, by the international financial community and by international agencies and organisations involved in addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
The IGSC would also need to "engage with international experts and with key stakeholder organisations," the ICEM points out. These include the WHO, UNAIDS, the World Bank, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the pharmaceutical industry and union internationals, notably the ICEM and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).
The ICEM has particular interests in the HIV/AIDS issue. It represents the world's pharmaceutical workers. Another of its sectors is mining. An especially serious HIV/AIDS problem arises from the widespread use of hostels to house male mineworkers - either unmarried or separated from their families. Today, the ICEM again called on mining companies to end the "hostel mentality" and provide proper accommodation, including for families.