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Heart to Heart with Hillary

 

Asia-Pacific nations agree on roadmap to accelerate progress towards global AIDS commitments

Asia-Pacific governments have concluded three days of high-level talks in Bangkok by endorsing a road map based on greater regional cooperation to fast-track progress towards meeting global commitments on the 2011 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS and the Millennium Development Goals.

The action plan calls for increased collaboration between government ministries, including health, justice, public security, police and drug control in genuine partnership with civil society and key affected populations including people who buy and sell sex, men who have sex with men, transgender populations and people who use drugs.

Representatives from 34 Asia-Pacific countries met at the 6-8 February Asia-Pacific High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Assessment of Progress against Commitments in the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS and the Millennium Development Goals convened by the United Nations to find ways to speed up progress towards an AIDS-free region, including by removing legal and policy barriers that hamper access to HIV services.

The meeting, organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and other United Nations cosponsors also called for the development of regional accountability mechanisms and financing modalities to enhance Asia-Pacificโ€?s capacity to reach HIV targets and commitments.

The regional meeting was the first major intergovernmental meeting of its kind anywhere in the world after the historic adoption of the Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS by world leaders in June last year.

The meeting reviewed strategies to move from a punitive to a more rights-based approach with regards to legal and policy barriers impeding access to HIV services. It also emphasised the importance of protecting the manufacture, export and import of life-saving generic medicines.

“I have been impressed with the quality of discussions, wealth of expertise and cooperation among delegates. The multi-sectoral participation, which is unique, has enabled us to consider multi-dimensional perspectives and reach consensus on how to work together more closely to accelerate our [efforts] in the Asia-Pacific region,”¯ said H.E. Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, President of Fiji at the close of the meeting.

United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy on HIV, Dr. Nafis Sadik told delegates: “This is Asia-Pacific at its best showing leadership, fore-thinking and spirit of collaboration, underlining the powerful force of this region.”¯

The meeting marked the first time that officials from national health, justice, law enforcement, social development and drug control agencies in the region came together at a single forum and were joined by people living with HIV as well as representatives from populations most affected by HIV including sex workers, people who use drugs, men who have sex with men and transgender people - to review the regionโ€?s progress towards international commitments on AIDS.

Participants reported significant progress in a number of areas including reduction of new HIV infections, increase on numbers of people receiving anti-retroviral treatment and expansion of programmes to reach key affected populations most at risk.

Examples from a number of countries illustrated that scaled-up services coupled with intensive engagement of key affected populations, have led to declining epidemics.

“It has been inspiring to take part in this intergovernmental event, side by side with senior delegates and it shows us that our voices are really being considered,”¯ said Thaw Zin Aye, Coordinator of Youth LEAD, the regional network for young HIV key affected populations. “Young people are taking ownership of the AIDS response and we are committed to carrying on the legacy. We urge governments to continue taking action with us.”¯

The roadmap emphasizes the need to share good practices and lessons learned in implementing the measures and commitments related to HIV. Asia-Pacific countries also requested ESCAP, UNAIDS and other cosponsors to support implementation of the road map.

For further information, please contact: Ms. Francyne Harrigan, Chief, Strategic Communications and Advocacy Section, ESCAP. T: (66) 2 288 1864, M: (66) 81 835 8677, E: [email protected]
 



Dear Hillary,
Valentine’s over and done with for another 12 months, so parents don’t need to worry about little Johnny till next year. The government doesn’t need to have policemen patrolling the streets to make sure all the under-age kids are tucked up in their (own) beds by 10 p.m. How stupid is all that?
Val

Dear Val,
I have seen that governments of any color have the natural ability to make idiotic decisions. St. Valentine’s Day, to give it its correct title, is a wonderful fun event for young people (and the not so young). In many countries, the St. Valentine’s Day card or flowers or chocolates have to be sent anonymously, leaving the recipient guessing as to who the secret admirer really is. That would relieve the government’s fears of wholesale lechery on February 14. I agree with you, Petal. Total nonsense. And that reminds me - not one of you sent me a card, chocolates or French champagne this year. I’m devastated!

Dear Hillary,
I found the ideal girl. I learned to speak Thai, as you suggested. I met the parents. I met the grandparents. I met the girlfriends. I gave her 5,000 baht a month for her to spend on anything she wanted. Everything looked good until I suggested it was time to get hitched and then it all came out. She was married already to an American and was waiting for a visa to go there. Not a breath about anything before. No wonder this place gets a bad rep.
Jilted

Dear Jilted,
You thought you were doing everything by the book, didn’t you Petal. But you forgot to meet the family buffalo, which is higher up the social ladder than someone who is just another ATM, and not a very well filled ATM either. At the wonderful sum of B. 5,000 a month, you won’t even get a maid for that. You were played as a sucker (which you were). You are much better off without her, well at least B. 5,000 better off each month without her! Your ability in speaking Thai will always help you understand what is going on, but you will have to be wary in the future. Don’t rush in where buffalos fear to tread!

Dear Hillary,
My wife (Thai) and me are looking at buying a little house in the country, for us to use when we go to visit her parents. Their house is wooden and very primitive, and I just can’t live there. My wife has been told she can’t own a house in her own name because she is married to a farang, and her last name is now also farang. I’m not allowed to buy it in my name, so what do we do? All sounds damn stupid to me.
Chris

Dear Chris,
The situation you describe with your wife’s ability to own house/land was once the case, but that was changed many years ago. She can own real estate in her own name. You are a different pail of potatoes, Petal. You can buy the house (under certain circumstances, investment companies, leases, etc.), but you cannot own the land it stands on. This is quite understandable, as otherwise China will have bought up all the land in Thailand, just like they are trying to do in New Zealand. Talk to a reliable real estate agent and/or a good lawyer. I know, I know, just keep looking!

Dear Hillary,
I remain utterly flabbergasted that every week, or it seems that way, you will get another letter from a broken hearted male who has lost another house and several ounces of gold to another young Thai hussy. That is after the buffalo has had its expensive injections to get it on its feet again. Does nobody warn these people that this is the most likely outcome? Perhaps you should have a notice inserted in the Pattaya Mail that Thai women are a wealth hazard!
Browned Off

Dear Browned Off,
You do not say where you came from, but all the western so-called developed countries have their own financial hazards in the men and women stakes. Called divorce settlements and alimony, these are resulting in many men who have lost several houses, cars and been made poor by the women in their own country. In America they are even drawing up “pre-nuptial” agreements as a form of “damage control” to try and quantify and contain the loss on splitting up. Since more than 50 percent of first marriages end in divorce in the western world, that’s a lot of houses out there in the matrimonial maelstrom. I remain absolutely flabbergasted that people such as you protest so loudly your amazement that this happens here, as if it didn’t in your own countries. If you don’t believe me go your local Chicken Pluckers Arms in the UK and take a straw poll of how many men have lost everything but their shirts to some English women. You get off lightly over here. I do also take you to task, branding all Thai/Farang marriage failure females as being hussies. Would you say the same about British women? Or Americans?
 



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