Abstract

HIV/Security response in Latin America and the Caribbean

C.E.M. da Silva

LAC COPRECOS, Advisory Council, Niteroi, Brazil

Issues: UN Security Council, in 2000, adopted Resolution 1308 recognizing the threat posed by HIV/AIDS to international and national security. The UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS in 2001 also included national Uniformed Services as a key area.
UN peacekeeping deployment in 2008 reached a historic level, with 113,724 personnel.
LAC region is an important UN troop contributing, currently 19,557, yearly and also an important troop receiving currently 9,055 troops from 46 different countries in MINUSTAH (Haiti).
Description: In a historical ante vision of the HIV/Security implications, in 1992 was created the Committee of Prevention and Control of the HIV/AIDS in the Armed Forces and National Polices of Latin America and the Caribbean - LAC COPRECOS.
A “Mutual Aid Statement” between UNAIDS and LAC COPRECOS was established in 2005 and together they have being promoting a regional strategic, strengthening local capacities, coordinating HIV/Security projects and south to south cooperation.
Fourteen LAC countries developed HIV/ Security response projects developed due to formal agreements with the Ministry of Health, Defense and Interior.
Lessons learned: Main achievements: the enforcement of the LAC nationals HIV/Security responses with the involvement of decision makers, economy on implementing a regional strategy; the inclusion of the HIV thematic involving cross cutting issues like, human rights, gender equity, stigma and discrimination in the academic curriculum of the Uniformed Services academies.
Main gaps: uniformed service personnel`s low perception about their own vulnerability to HIV, the great deal of homophobia and gender imbalance in LAC; few PLHIV support groups for uniformed personnel; and LAC countries economic restrictions.
Next steps: In 2009 to obtain the necessary funds to address the identified gaps, LAC COPRECOS with technical assistance of UNAIDS, submitted a multi-country proposal to the Ninth Round of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria obtaining the “category 2b”.