UNESCO at the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico

From 03-08-2008 to 08-08-2008 (Mexico) 

UNESCO was involved throughout the conference in presenting sessions and activities to share new research and best practices on the global response to HIV and AIDS through education. UNESCO’s programme at the conference was a result of the contributions from all sectors, headquarters and field offices.

Learning for All about AIDS was UNESCO's theme at the conference.

As well as launching the EDUCAIDS resource pack (components of this such as Technical Briefs and Overviews of Practical Resources can be downloaded at the EDUCAIDS website), UNESCO activities included:

• Twenty poster exhibitions presenting UNESCO’s interdisciplinary work on HIV and AIDS from across the world



• Presentations on several subjects including:
  
  • The role of the education sector in promoting universal access to prevention, care and support; and
    
  • Using museums as a means for HIV prevention education
  
  
• Skills building sessions on:
  
  • Responsible media coverage; and
    
  • Mainstreaming gender equality and sexual & reproductive health and rights
  
  
• Particiption in the UNAIDS Joint Exhibition Booth answering questions and distributing free CD-ROMs of UNESCO’s research, policy documents and toolkits



• A Photovoice exhibit presenting the experiences of people living at the frontiers of the global AIDS epidemic



• A UNESCO and L’Oréal Foundation booth, including a functioning hair salon, on the international programme- Hairdressers Against AIDS

On the eve of the conference, UNESCO's Director-General, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, expressed his concern that young people are at the centre of the global AIDS crisis and are disproportionately affected by the epidemic. His full Op-Ed piece on the question can be seen here.


Supported by the Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica, UNESCO and other UN agencies, the Government of Mexico also organised an Inter-ministerial summit for ministers of health and education to discuss HIV prevention education in Latin America and the Caribbean. The summit produced a historic declaration on comprehensive sex education.

The biennial conference provides opportunities to support collective efforts to research and deliver effective HIV prevention, treatment, care and support to communities worldwide.

Click here to see the full listing of UNESCO's activities during the Conference.

The Kaiser Family Foundation and Mexico Youth Net provided daily updates from the conference.