HIV and AIDS Focal Points meet in Thailand

• UNESCO/ Phan Hang H.
• HIV & AIDS Focal Points (left to right): Ung Kim Heang (Cambodia), Hans Lambrecht (Vitnam), Phan Hang Hoa (Vietnam), Shankar Chowdhury (India) & Sereima Lumelume (UNESCO/Apia)

The HIV and AIDS workshop for the Asia-Pacific Focal Points was held in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand from May 11th to 15th, 2009. The workshop participants represented four National Commissions and 13 UNESCO Field Officers as well as development partners. Chris Castle, the UNESCO Global HIV Focal Point was the key resource person, together with the Asia-Pacific Coordinator Jan Wijingaarden. The UNESCO Apia Office of the Pacific States was represented by Sereima Lumelume, its Temporary Education Specialist.

The workshop focused on the education response to HIV/AIDS as UNESCO leads the response to HIV among young people in Educational Institutions. EDUCAIDS the comprehensive framework for action on AIDS, which is one of UNESCO’s key Flagship Program was a key resource in the discussions, together with the UNAIDS TOOLKIT for Mainstreaming HIV and AIDS in the Education Sector.

Also refined and reviewed was the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Strategic Framework for HIV and AIDS (2009 -2015) which is a comprehensive strategic platform that fully integrates the harmonization of all sectors; Education, Culture, Social and Human Sciences, Science, and Communication and Information.

The workshop was closed by the newly appointed UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Director Mr Gwang-Jo Kim who urged participants to be sensitive but proactive with the issue of addressing the current gaps that exist in the education sector response to HIV and AIDS.

He also stated that there was a need to especially look beyond what has been achieved to date and put the agenda in a broader context of education reform including EFA and ESD.

• Source:UNESCO Apia
• 18-05-2009

• UNESCO/Ung Kim H. - Participants’ discussion (left to right): Chris Castle (UNESCO/HQ), Dawei Fu (China),