ICYO-YOUTH POSITION PAPER ON THE UNGASS ON HIV/AIDS

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YOUTH & AIDS: YOUTH POSITION PAPER ON THE UNGASS ON HIV/AIDS

64 youth participants from 25 countries representing the Youth Caucus of the

United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS have drafted a

position paper which calls upon youth structures, governments and

international partners to join them in:

1.Recognizing that young women and men must occupy positions of leadership

in the global fight against AIDS.

2.Adopting a rights-based approach to HIV prevention, that affirms young

people's rights to sexual and reproductive health information and care and

services, as an indispensable way to stop the spread of AIDS.

3.Acknowledging that the rights of children and young people orphaned by

AIDS to education, shelter and a life free from discrimination must be

respected.

4.Affirming that care, support and treatment are a fundamental right for all

people living with HIV/AIDS.

5. Ensuring that the following groups of vulnerable young people are

directly targeted for prevention, care and support, and treatment services:

young women, people confined to prisons and institutions, young people in

refugee settings, homeless youth, unemployed youth, out of school youth,

young people from ethnic minorities and/or stigmatized social groups, young

people living with AIDS, rural youth, young injecting drug users, young

commercial sex workers, young men who have sex with men and young people

living in extreme poverty.

6.Establishing a Youth Advisory Board is put in place by the General

Assembly, to monitor funds and programs of the Global AIDS Health Fund, and

integrate youth into all other decision-making structures established at

global levels.

The ICYO is a coordinating body of 350 Youth Organizations in India, working

for capacity building of Youth Organizations, advocacy of and for Youth and

Child Right issues. Main focus subjects are Youth Health (including

HIV/AIDS), Population, Environment, Commercial Sexual Abuse/ Exploitation of

Child and Youth, Habitat, Peace etc. ICYO is member of World Assembly of

Youth (WAY), Asian Youth Council (AYC), Youth For Habitat International

Network (YFHIN), ECPAT International, International Youth ation

(IYOCO) and Roster status in ECOSOC of United Nations. Also National Youth

Coordinating Organization for HRD, ESCAP, UN.

The Youth Information is published by

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO)

91 11 4624776 Fax1797-C, Kotla Mubarkpur,

Opp. D-42 South Extension -One) New Delhi 110 003 India.

Phone 91 11 4641807

E-mail: icyo@...

Web: www.icyo-india.org