1. On 25 July 2005, the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva organized the Human Security Network (HSN) Workshop on HIV and AIDS at Hotel Epsom Manotel, Geneva . The Workshop was chaired by Dr. Chaiyong Satjipanon, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand, and attended by representatives of Austria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Greece, Jordan, Mali, The Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, South Africa and Thailand as well as key partner agencies in the field of HIV and AIDS, namely UNAIDS, WHO and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM).

2. In commencing the Workshop, the chairman read out the address of Dr. Kantathi Suphamongkhon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, which underlined a major threat that HIV and AIDS posed to human security and called for the strengthening of regional as well as cross-regional cooperation to fight against the disease. Keynote remarks were also delivered by representatives of UNAIDS, WHO and GFATM, with emphases on the importance of prevention, access to medication and treatment, as well as mobilized funding in support of projects that aim at putting preventive and treatment measures into practice.

3. The Workshop participants exchanged views and discussed on two major themes, namely 1) human security and HIV prevention among young people – the new generation, and 2) effective functioning of health systems to increase access to HIV prevention, treatment and care. In each theme, they were engaged in (1) reporting current situation and progress, (2) identifying key enabling or disabling factors, and (3) indicating challenges and needed support.

•  Regarding the first theme of “human security and HIV prevention among young people - the new generation,” salient points were as follows:

•  HIV infections and AIDS pandemic among youth and the new generation seriously affected human security and the prospect of socio-economic development.

•  Despite varying situations and differing degrees of HIV and AIDS gravity, progress had reportedly been made in most HSN countries, due to increasing preventive information, access to prevention equipment and counseling services made available by public agencies.

•  Continuing advocacy and education, both formal and informal, as a key factor that contributed to and would help maintain the progress made. In this regard, various methods were being discussed, including the roles of popular media and public personalities (e.g. MTV, movie stars, singers, athletes, etc.), peer education, constructive engagement between people of the new generation and the HIV infected people.

•  Existing and future challenges were identified, including budget and human resource constraints, difficult balance between awareness raising on the one hand and encouragement of irresponsible sexual activities on the other, resistance from religious and politically conservative segments of a society, uncongenial cultures, declining interest in HIV and AIDS as a result of stabilized situation, etc.

•  With regard to the theme of “effective functioning of health systems to increase access to HIV prevention, treatment and care,” the following points were highlighted:

•  The existence of a coordinating body, quality network among public and private agencies, and civil society's participation constituted a favorable condition for access to prevention, treatment, care and support.

•  Media had a major role to play in monitoring and making the public known about relevant implementations.

•  Challenges, however, remained, including inadequate budget and human resource as well as underdeveloped health infrastructures.

•  In response to these challenges, participating agencies reaffirmed their support to help HSN countries in need to overcome their problems. For example, GFATM informed the meeting that health system development was a new criterion set up for funding support to project proposals from countries affected by HIV and AIDS, while WHO offered to help needed countries in simplifying anti-retroviral combination in order to enhance treatment effectiveness.

6. Apart from exchanging views on the aforementioned topics, representatives of HSN countries were engaged in a discussion on the content of the draft “Guidelines for Cooperation on HIV and AIDS Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support with Focus on Young People and Health Systems,” which aims at setting a direction for further implementation, cooperation and follow-up. The Workshop participants agreed in principle with the draft, with slight refinements made through subsequent coordination. According to the Guidelines, HSN countries agreed to cooperate in the areas, for instance,

•  Increasing awareness and knowledge on HIV and AIDS by expanding and making more accessible public information on HIV and AIDS through various channels, including popular media;

•  Engaging civil society, private sector, HIV infected and affected people as partners to play a greater role in providing and facilitating prevention, treatment, care and support;

•  Promoting collaboration on knowledge transfer and technical assistance regarding effective functioning of health systems relevant to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support;

•  Ffollowing up on progress on issues in the Guidelines for Cooperation by reporting, as appropriate, to a meeting of HSN countries on an annual basis.

7. In summary, the HSN Workshop on HIV and AIDS was a success, thanks to active participation of representatives from HSN countries and key partner agencies. All participants agreed that the Workshop helped raise awareness as well as encourage monitoring and follow-up on the progress made within the HSN framework and beyond. The participants also look forward to the adoption of the Guidelines for Cooperation by HSN Ministers at the Informal Ministerial Working Lunch to be hosted by H.E. Dr. Kantathi Suphamongkhon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, in New York on 18 September 2005.

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