UN Resident Coordinator Olivier Adam encourages local AIDS organizations to compete for 2010 Red Ribbon Award
12 January 2010. Kyiv, Ukraine – UN Resident Coordinator Olivier Adam encouraged local organizations battling the AIDS epidemic in Ukraine to consider competing for a 2010 Red Ribbon Award. Red Ribbon Award calls for nominations to honour community leadership and action on AIDS. The Award honours community-based organisations for their contributions in responding to the AIDS epidemic.
“I am pleased by the emphasis this year on upholding human rights,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “Previous Red Ribbon honorees are an example to us all on how to act with dignity in the face of adversity. The work of community-based organizations will be more effective if not hampered by discrimination against people living with HIV and populations most at risk, including sex workers, drug users and men who have sex with men.”
The biennial award, which will be presented at next summer’s International AIDS Conference in Vienna, will be awarded to 25 organisations which have shown outstanding community leadership and action on AIDS. “This is more than an award programme,” says Olivier Adam. "We are pleased to recall that a 2006 winner was from Ukraine!"
As Adam recalls, on the World AIDS Day - 1 December 2006 - in Kyiv, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe Lars Kallings presented the Red Ribbon Award - a check for USD 20,000 – to the All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS.
"I encourage all Ukrainian community organizations working for battling HIV/AIDS in this country to send their nominations for this year's Red Ribbon Award,"Olivier Adam adds.
The Red Ribbon Award aims to provide a global platform for communities touched by HIV. All 25 awardees will receive a monetary prize of US$ 5,000 and five of the awardees will receive special recognition and an additional US$ 15,000 award. The five award categories for outstanding community leadership and action on AIDS are:
• Ensure that that people living with HIV receive treatment
• Support HIV prevention, treatment and care programmes for people who use drugs
• Remove punitive policies and laws, stigma and discrimination that block effective AIDS responses and marginalize key populations (men who have sex with men, transgender, sex workers and people in prisons)
• Stop violence against women and girls and promote gender equality
• Enhance social support for those affected by HIV, including orphans and vulnerable children.
Nominations will be accepted through 28 February 2010. Information can be found on www.redribbonaward.org or by contacting redribbonaward@undp.org. All community-based organisations working to halt and reverse the spread of HIV are encouraged to apply.
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
UNAIDS is an innovative joint venture of the United Nations, bringing together the efforts and resources of the UNAIDS Secretariat and ten UN system organizations in the AIDS response. The Secretariat headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland—with staff on the ground in more than 80 countries. Coherent action on AIDS by the UN system is coordinated in countries through UN theme groups, and joint programmes on AIDS. UNAIDS’ Cosponsors include UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank. www.unaids.org
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in 166 countries, working to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and reduce its impact. As a co-sponsor of UNAIDS, it helps countries put HIV/AIDS at the centre of national development and poverty reduction strategies; build national capacity to mobilize all levels of government and civil society for a coordinated and effective response to the epidemic; and protect the rights of people living with AIDS, women, and vulnerable populations. www.undp.org
XVIII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010)
The XVIII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010) is the premier gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic. It is a chance for stakeholders to take stock of where the epidemic is, evaluate recent scientific developments and lessons learnt, and collectively chart a course forward. AIDS 2010 will be held in Vienna, Austria from 18 to 23 July 2010. www.aids2010.org
12.01.10
