Wednesday, 21 November 2018 (PANCAP Coordinating Unit, CARICOM Secretariat): The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), with funding from the CARIFORUM 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Programme of Support for Wider Caribbean Cooperation will host a Parliamentarians Sensitisation Forum in Belize on 22 November 2018. 

 The Forum is part of a series of engagements involving parliamentarians under the PANCAP Justice for All programme. Parliamentarians will be sensitized with regard to their advocacy role for the elimination of stigma and discrimination, as well as their legislative, representational and oversight roles.

The objectives of the forum are to identify the barriers to achieving the UNAIDS 90-90-90 Targets including stigma and discrimination and defining parliamentarians’ legislative, representational and oversight roles in addressing the barriers to ending the AIDS epidemic.  Parliamentarians are expected to agree on specific actions to be undertaken.

In an invited comment, Hon. Laura Tucker-Longsworth MSN. RN. OBE. – Speaker of the National Assembly and Chairperson, National AIDS Commission (Belize) said, “There must be increased engagement with parliamentarians on Health, social protection, Justice and tackling stigma and discrimination. Parliamentarians have the mandate to play a more meaningful role in advocating and championing for supportive policies, laws and budgetary allocations in an effort to end AIDS by 2030”.  

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What is PANCAP?

PANCAP is a Caribbean regional partnership of governments, regional civil society organisations, regional institutions and organisations, bilateral and multilateral agencies and contributing donor partners which was established on 14 February 2001. PANCAP provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic, coordinates the response through the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS to maximise efficient use of resources and increase impact, mobilises resources and build capacity of partners.

• 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Programme of Support for Wider Caribbean Cooperation

Under the 10th (EDF) Programme of Support for Wider Caribbean Cooperation, PANCAP will strengthen coordination on human rights issues in keeping with the Justice For all Roadmap through the HIV and AIDS Thematic Task Force in CARIFORUM.

• CARIFORUM

CARIFORUM refers to the Grouping of Caribbean States which are signatories of the Georgetown Agreement establishing the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP). The ACP grouping is composed of 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific states.

CARIFORUM is the recipient of and manages the implementation of Caribbean Regional Indicative Programmes financed by the EDF and Caribbean regional programmes financed by individual Member States of the European Union. It also provides technical assistance to agencies/institutions implementing projects under these programmes.

• European Union

The Member States of the European Union have decided to link together their know-how, resources and destinies. Together, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders’.

Background to the PANCAP Justice for All (JFA) Roadmap

The PANCAP Justice for All (JFA) Programme was established in September 2013 as a regional response to the UN High-Level Political Declaration (June 2011) designed to reduce AIDS-related stigma and discrimination. The objectives of the JFA programme are:

• Enhancing family life and focusing on those in need
• Increasing access to treatment and affordable medicines
• Reducing gender inequality including violence against women, girls and adolescents
• Promoting prevention with special reference to sexual and reproductive health and rights including age appropriate sexual education
• Implementing legislative reforms for modifying AIDS-related stigma and discrimination

Helpful links:

PANCAP Justice for All (JFA) programme – https://pancap.org/what-we-do/justice-for-all/

10th European Development Fund Project (EDF) – https://pancap.org/pancap-work/10th-european-development-fund-project/