H.E. RATU EPELI NAILATIKAU - SPEAKING POINTS AT THE YOUTH MEETING WITH HIGH-LEVEL LEADERS

21/11/2013


HIS EXCELLENCY RATU EPELI NAILATIKAU
CF, LVO, OBE (Mil), OStJ, CSM, MSD
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF FIJI
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SPEAKING POINTS AT THE YOUTH MEETING WITH HIGH-LEVEL LEADERS,
11th INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON AIDS IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (ICAAP 11)
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Bangkok Thursday 21stNovember 2013
THAILAND 1545hrs
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It is a great pleasure to be in a room filled with young people. I am always honored when the youth invite me to be part of their sessions, as I treasure the engagement.

In fact, I feel energized whenever I am surrounded by young leaders and the future generation who have the power to influence and shape the response to AIDS.

The Asia-Pacific region is at a critical juncture. Data is showing that HIV is declining but the progress is at a slow pace. If we do business as usual we will most likely miss the 2011 high level meeting targets.

UNAIDS reported that the total number of young people living with HIV in 2012 is 690,000 among which 46% are females. This is an increase of 140,000 from 2011. We need to do something different, and we need to do something now!

In this modern day and age, Asia-Pacific still faces a reality that has not kept pace with the fluid and dynamic changes taking place around us.

Some of the daily realities that our future generations face are:
(a) Countries that implement laws and policies that impede access and delivery to sexual reproductive health and HIV services to young people.

This includes age of consent and marriage law that hinders access to such services;

(b) Stigma and discrimination deters young people from taking and undergoing HIV tests and actively pushes away young people living with HIV from enrolling for treatment;

(c) Young key populations are criminalized in certain Asia-Pacific countries and this is a grave violation of their human rights; and

(d) We do not have sufficient data on young people that could convince the political leadership to support interventions for youths that are relevant and targeted.

This year’s ICAAP calls on young people to be agents of change and with the theme of Asia-Pacific reaching triple zero through innovation, we look to you – the young people to assume a leadership role.

You have received all the support and encouragement of the ICAAP 11 local organising committee to promote a new dynamic by correctly identifying young people as the way of the future...investing in opportunities to showcase this at the congress.

Our region is home to over 60% per cent of the world’s youth.

That’s more than 750 million young people including those in the Pacific Island countries. An impressive number of future leaders, and one that can no doubt profoundly impact the region politically, socially and economically.

Young people have the power to lead and change the course of the epidemic. I know most of you are using social media, including facebook and twitter.

The wide outreach of social media has broadened the options for social movements from street protests to the virtual platform.

Many young people are now activists and advocates in the HIV response. We look at you to reignite the HIV activism.

Young key populations must be central in the HIV response. And where the key populations are voiceless, all young people whether members of the group or not must become the voice of social conscience.

Young MSM, young sex workers, young transgender, young injecting drug users and especially young people living with HIV are your brothers and sisters.

We need to work together to address their particular needs. And continue fighting for their human rights. After all, human rights is for all not just for some.

I call on government leaders to review their current laws, policies and practices in their countries.

Governments should remove age restrictions and parental consent requirements that impede access to sexual and reproductive health and HIV services, including testing for HIV and other STIS, condoms and contraception, needle and syringe programmes and Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST).

Fiji itself has removed certain legal barriers that affect effective service delivery to key populations.

Same sex relationships have been decriminalized. HIV related travel restrictions have been removed. We have also removed age restriction and parental consent for a young person under the age of 18.

Under the HIV Decree of 2011, a person under 18 can consent if he or she is capable of understanding the nature and consequences of the test.

The journey was not easy, but it can be achieved with political will and leadership. These are bold steps but we recognize that we still have so much more to do.

Young people must be part of the post-2015 agenda. Governments will decide on priorities and it cannot and will not happen if youths are not consulted and are not equal partners in the effort.

After all, how can we talk about our future if the future generation is marginalized? It is integral that we involve you, young people and recognize your potentials.

In an effort to ensure the voice of the young are heard, the Fijian Government has reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 years.

Essentially, this means that for the first time, our young people can help to decide on a government that will not only listen to their aspirations, but willimportantly take decisive and concrete action to ensure a bright and secure future for the young.

The change in voting age is part of the legal reforms which are now enshrined in Fiji’s new constitution which became effective from 7th September 2013.

We will be having elections before the end of September 2014.

Fiji’s constitution also has an expanded Bill of Rights which ensures that everyone has the right to life, to education, and to proper health services, among numerous other rights.

I am pleased that Fiji has provided a secure platform for the youth to be actively involved in governance and in decision-making.

This is the same approach that leaders in the Asia and Pacific region could adopt to ensure our young people are involved in decisions that will affect their future.

I would like to conclude with a quotation.

“Young key populations have to take ownership of the HIV response. In doing so, we can lead the world in ’getting to zero’. Through leadership initiatives, the mobilization of young key populations in the region is building momentum. But a much louder, bigger movement is needed to reinvigorate HIV activism. We have to stand up and be counted.

So let’s raise our voices. Let’s talk about sex and drugs and all the difficult things in between.

And most of all, let’s rock this!”

-- Thaw Zin Aye, regional coordinator of youth LEAD

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