Agenda (download Word document)

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Sponsors: The Open Society Institute’s (OSI) Public Health Program, the Secretariat of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS Secretariat), the World Health Organization (WHO).

Goal: This meeting aims to bridge the gap between existing HIV testing and counseling guidance and implementation to ensure human rights in HIV testing and counseling scale-up. We hope to reach consensus on concrete strategies and specific activities to overcome two types of barriers and concerns to ensuring human rights in practice: political/systemic and technical.

Monday, October 12, 2009

8:30 a.m. Registration

9:00 a.m. Open and Welcome

Facilitator: Josh Mintz (Cavanaugh, Hagan, Pierson & Mintz, Inc.)

• Welcome by OSI (Cynthia Eyakuze), UNAIDS (Susan Timberlake), and WHO (Ying-Ru Lo)

• Introductions

• Review of goals for the meeting (Jonathan Cohen- OSI)

• Overview of the agenda by the facilitator

9:30 a.m. Why This Matters

Panelists: Loon Gangte (Delhi Network of Positive People), Jenny Bell (Justice & Women), Eunice Oyiela (Wellcome Trust Research Program), Meena Seshu (Sampada Grameen Mahila Sanstha)

Moderator: Cynthia Eyakuze (OSI)

Perspectives: Brief discussion with representatives of affected communities on their experiences and perspectives related to HIV testing and counseling and human rights, followed by Q&A session.

10:20 a.m. Policy and Practice

Case studies of HIV testing and counseling among pregnant women in South Africaand Ukraine

Panelists: Allison Groves (University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public

Health), South Africa; Halyna Skipalska (HealthRight International), Ukraine

Moderator: Miriam Sabin (WHO)

10:45 a.m. Break

11:00 a.m. Policy scan and qualitative study of the 3 C's in PITC and barriers to PITC implementation

Panelist: Maria Claudia Escobar (AIDSTAR)

Moderator: Miriam Sabin (WHO)

11:15 a.m. Organizational Perspectives: Presentations by WHO, UNAIDS, and the Gates Foundation on their work relating to implementing human rights protections in HIV testing and counseling scale-up, followed by Q&A session.

Panelists: Miriam Sabin (WHO), Jason Sigurdson (UNAIDS), Ray Yip (The Bill &

Melinda Gates Foundation)

Moderator: Joe Amon (Human Rights Watch)

12:45 p.m. Lunch

1:45 p.m. The Role of Human Rights in HIV Testing and Counseling Scale-Up

Facilitator: Jonathan Cohen (OSI)

1:55 p.m. Addressing Political and Systemic Barriers and Concerns

Panelists: Anne Gathumbi (Open Society Initiative for East Africa) and Roger Staub (Federal Office of Public Health, Switzerland)

Facilitator: Jonathan Cohen (OSI)

Quick framing presentations to outline the key political and systemic barriers

2:15 p.m. Plenary discussion on political and system barriers and concerns

Facilitator: Josh Mintz

2:45 p.m. Small group discussions (tables of approximately 8 people each)

To prioritize the top three barriers to the protection of human rights or human rights concerns and then identify two to three specific and concrete actions that will be taken to address each barrier or concern and suggest ways to measure progress towards reducing these barriers over time

4:00 p.m. Break

4:15 p.m. Plenary discussion: Reports from the small group discussions

Facilitator: Josh Mintz

Reports on discussions and consensus on key barriers, concerns and priority action items leading to measurement of progress over time

5:45 p.m. Close

7:00 p.m. Group dinner at the Carlights restaurant at the hotel

9:00 a.m. Addressing Technical Barriers and Concerns

Panelists: Sofia Gruskin (Harvard School of Public Health) and Donna Leigh Higgins (Consultant)

Facilitator: Josh Mintz

Quick framing presentations to outline the key technical barriers to implementing human rights protections and potential tools that can be developed and disseminated to facilitate implementation of human rights protections

9:15 a.m. Plenary discussion on technical barriers and concerns

Facilitator: Josh Mintz

10:00 a.m. Break

10:15 a.m. Addressing Technical Barriers and Concerns, cont.

Panelists: Suzanne Maman (University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global

Public Health), Meena Seshu (Sampada Grameen Mahila Sanstha), Paul Wekesa (Liverpool VCT Care & Treatment)

Facilitator: Susan Timberlake (UNAIDS)

11:30 a.m. Small group discussions (tables of approximately 8 people each)

To prioritize the top three barriers to the protection of human rights or human rights concerns and then to identify two to three specific and concrete actions that will be taken to address each barrier or concern and suggest ways to measure progress towards reducing these barriers over time

12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 p.m. Moving Forward / Action Planning

• Report back from small group discussions

• Address unresolved issues from the previous sessions

• Identify a plan for WHO, UNAIDS, national government, and human rights organizations to continue collaborating on HIV testing and counseling programs

• Develop an Action Plan for moving the work forward (clarity on next steps, responsibilities, timelines, etc.)

3:00 p.m. Break

3:15 p.m. Continue discussions

See 1:30 p.m. description

4:30 p.m. Next Steps and Closing Comments

5:00 p.m. Close

7:00 p.m. Group dinner at the Carlights restaurant at the hotel