Americas

Americas

ILO TO EMPHASIZE WORKPLACE ROLE IN HIV PREVENTION AT INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE IN MEXICO

01 August 2008 15:19 (UTC +04:00)

Geneva â€“ APA. The International Labour Organization (ILO) is to host a series of events at the 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, which opens this Sunday, designed to illustrate the growing importance of the workplace in responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
HIV/AIDS is having a devastating effect on the world of work. Of the estimated 33 million people now living with HIV, over 30 million are of working age. Working people in their productive prime are the age group most at risk of HIV and most affected by its impact.
APA reports that the ILOâ€™s Programme on HIV/AIDS in the World of Work (ILO/AIDS) will use the Conference as a global platform for presenting proposals for a new international labour standard on HIV/AIDS during a satellite session on 7 August.
The ILO and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will join forces to discuss labour migration and mobility, which are emerging as increasingly critical issues in the design of AIDS responses. UNAIDS, in collaboration with the ILO and IOM, have developed a policy brief focusing on the HIV-related needs and rights of international labour migrants, which will be formally launched on 3 August at a satellite session.
The Conference will also see an event on 5 August, organized by the International Organization of Employers and supported by the ILO, which will highlight the contribution of the private sector and employersâ€™ organizations in the fight against HIV/AIDS at the national level.
The ILO will host a â€˜Workplace advice centreâ€™ in the networking zone of the Global Village which will offer advice and materials on how to draft an HIV/AIDS policy or do effective prevention at the workplace (public, private, formal or informal). It will give people the chance to meet, exchange experiences and learn from each other, and will be supported by UN Plus, the support group for HIV-positive UN staff.