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NOTES FOR REMARKS BY PRIME MINISTER JEAN
CHRÉTIEN AT A HIGH LEVEL INTERACTIVE PANEL ON HIV/AIDS
September 22, 2003
New York
I am honoured to be with you today, to share my views and those of my
government on stigma and discrimination. At the same time, I am deeply saddened
that even today, in the 21st century, we gather to discuss these twin scourges
which, regrettably, live side by side with HIV/AIDS and which continue to drive
the pandemic and hinder efforts to contain it.
Let's talk honestly about who gets infected with HIV. The statistics tell us
that infection rates are highest among the urban and rural poor and other
marginalised groups, including commercial sex workers and intravenous drug
users. But who are the people in the statistics?
They are ordinary people. They are our mothers, our fathers, our sons and
daughters, our friends. Their numbers include one of Canada's delegation members
here today. There are few of us here today that can say that HIV has not touched
us personally. We must be governed by a moral and legal imperative to promote
and protect the human rights of all those affected.
Most people living with HIV and AIDS around the world - including most of
those living in Canada - remain silent and hesitate to seek care and support due
to fear of stigma and discrimination. This fear still prevents millions of
people from seeking to know their HIV status, and is one of the most significant
barriers to effectively scaling up prevention efforts.
As leaders, we have a responsibility to break the silence surrounding HIV, in
our public and private discourse, in our schools, our workplaces, our
communities, and in the press. We must push for better education, and broader
awareness. We must highlight and mitigate the impact of the epidemic on women
and girls, as well as on other vulnerable populations such as those living in
poverty, refugees, and internally displaced people. We must renew our commitment
to their empowerment in order that we can break the cycle of infection. We owe
it to those we serve. And it is in all of our best interest.
Of course, awareness-raising alone will never be enough to combat this
scourge of stigma and discrimination. We can and must work nationally and
globally to implement the legal and institutional frameworks required to
guarantee human rights protection and promote social change. In Canada, our
Charter of Rights and Freedoms fulfils this function, and we support UN
instruments that call for global standards in this area.
We must also work together to ensure that affordable and effective treatment
is available to all those who need it. Treatment helps those living with HIV to
lead productive lives, with dignity, as full members of our communities. Canada
will continue to make contributions to alleviate AIDs suffering.
Those in this room living with HIV could tell us that stigma and
discrimination are alive and well, in Canada and in every one of our countries.
We all committed just over two years ago to demonstrate leadership in fighting
this issue. The fight is not yet over. Let's get to work.
Thank you.
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