UNAIDS

Human Rights and Drug Policy Across the United Nations: Commemorating International Human Rights Day

Drugs and drug policy do not exist in a vacuum, and communities are impacted in diverse ways that stretch across the silos of the UN system. The annual drugs omnibus resolution – titled, “International cooperation to address and counter the world drug problem” reflects the UN system-wide relevance of drug-related matters. In commemoration of International Human Rights Day, this event will showcase key developments that took place during 2021 from diverse UN entities that can support system-wide coherence between drug control and the UN pillars of peace and security, development, and human rights, as well as the Sustainable Development Agenda.
Speakers:
  • Opening Remarks: H.E. Mrs. Alicia Guadalupe Buenrostro Massieu, Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Mexico to the UN
  • Zaved Mahmood, Human Rights and Drug Policy Advisor, OHCHR
  • Ninan Varughese, Senior Advisor, UNAIDS
  • Marie Nougier, Head of Research and Communications, IDPC
  • Penny Hill, Deputy Secretary, Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs
  • Moderator: Nazlee Maghsoudi, Chair, NYNGOC
Contact newyorkngoc@gmail.com with any inquiries.

Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMocOCsqz4tEtehkU7yPUCQJX6V653aNDaO

Event organized by the New York NGO Committee on Drugs (NYNGOC), in collaboration with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, and International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC).

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CoNGO Notes: The New York NGO Committee on Drugs is a Substantive Committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations. Likewise, more information on the NGO Committee on Drugs-Vienna, please visit vngoc.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Mental Health, please visit ngomentalhealth.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org

The role of faith communities in supporting adolescents’ prevention, treatment, care, & leadership in the HIV response

Dear friends and colleagues,

You are cordially invited to join the UNAIDS- PEPFAR Faith Initiative virtual side event on ADOLESCENTS & HIV The role of faith communities in supporting adolescent’s prevention, treatment, care, and leadership in the HIV response. The event will take place on Thursday 23 September 2021 from 1-3:30 pm CET in conjunction with the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The concept note, complete agenda, registration form and flyers are available on the Interfaith Health Platform event page: https://www.interfaith-health-platform.org/adolescents-hiv

We look forward to your participation in this important event. The meeting will be held in English and French.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee for Rare Diseases, please visit ngocommitteerarediseases.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. 

UNAIDS Zero Discrimination Day

On Zero Discrimination Day, 1 March, we celebrate the right of everyone to live a full and productive life—and live it with dignity. Zero Discrimination Day highlights how people can become informed about and promote inclusion, compassion, peace and, above all, a movement for change. Zero Discrimination Day is helping to create a global movement of solidarity to end all forms of discrimination.

On Zero Discrimination Day this year, UNAIDS is challenging the discrimination faced by women and girls in all their diversity in order to raise awareness and mobilize action to promote equality and empowerment for women and girls.

To learn more, visit unaids.org/en/zero-discrimination-day.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns-NY, please visit csvgc-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee for Rare Diseases, please visit ngocommitteerarediseases.org.

Spirituality, Mental Health and Resilience in the Dual Pandemics of COVID-19 and HIV

Dear colleagues & friends,

Greetings. I hope this email finds you safe and well. Kindly find below the relevant information of the upcoming webinar on Spirituality, Mental Health and Resilience in the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and HIV that UNAIDS is organizing with the coalition of partners from the Interfaith health platform, for your information and kind participation. Many thanks.

DRAFT AGENDA

Overview and Session 1 – Mental Health in the dual pandemics: what spirituality, resilience and a human rights-based approach have to offer?

  • Dainius Pūras, Director, Human Rights Monitoring Institute, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Vilnius university, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health: A human rights based approach to mental health
  • Ani Shakarishvili, Special Adviser, Programme Partnerships, UNAIDS: Mental health and HIV: An imperative and an opportunity for integrated people-centered and human rights-based programmes and services for better HIV and health outcomes and wellbeing
  • Rev. Sarah Lund, United Church of Christ Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice: Spiritual Care Tools for Community Mental Health
  • Sabrina T. Cherry, Interdisciplinary Qualitative Studies Certificate, Assistant Professor, Public Health Faculty Fellow, UNCW Center For Social Impact: Impact of spirituality on resilience and coping during the COVID-19 crisis – A mixed-method approach investigating the impact on women

Best Practices & Lessons Learned Session: HIV & COVID-19

  • Gracia Violeta Ross Quiroga, President of the Bolivian Network of People Living with HIV
  • Nkatha Njeru, Coordinator, Africa Christian Health Associations Platform (ACHAP)
  • Applesta Da Costa, Program Lead, Psychosocial Support for interventions in mental health, Human Touch, Goa, India
  • Fr Rick Bauer, Director of Spiritual and Psychosocial Support for the Eastern Deanery AIDS Relief program in Nairobi, Kenya: Spirituality, Mental Health and Resilience during the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and HIV: Understandings and practices from EDARP

5:30-7:30 am San Francisco / 8:30-10:30 am New York / 1:30-3:30 pm Dakar /
2:30-4:30 pm Geneva / 4:30-6:30 pm Nairobi / 7:00-9:00 pm Mumbai /
8:30-10:30 pm Bangkok

Register here. Virtual – UNAIDS Platform (Zoom) + YouTube |  Interpretation: English, French, Spanish

Warm regards,

Chuqiu Peng
Consultant
Inter-governmental Inter-Agency and Policy Dialogue Branch (IIPDB)
Policy and Strategy Division (PSD)
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Email: peng@unfpa.org

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee for Rare Diseases, please visit ngocommitteerarediseases.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Mental Health, please visit ngomentalhealth.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns-NY, please visit csvgc-ny.org