GENEVA, June 12 (KUNA) -- The ongoing talks among the delegates of the International Labor Organization (ILO) member states on the situation of workers living with HIV/AIDS is making good progress towards a final instrument , Kuwaiti official said here on Saturday.
"The talks on the new international labour standard on HIV/AIDS and the world of work, part of the agenda of the Second Tripartite Committee Discussion of the 99th Session of the International Labour Conference, continued till late last night," Chairperson of HIV-AIDS Statistics and Information Office of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health Dr. Hind Abdulaziz Al-Shomer said.
"The instrument takes into account Kuwait observations in this domain," she said in statements to KUNA, noting that the talks are going on daily during the current session of the conference (June 2-18).
"The conference will mark a significant turning point in the global HIV response as ILO delegates are close to the adoption of the instrument where a 2/3 majority vote by the conference will be required for this sensitive issue, " Dr. Al-Shomer pointed out.
"The new labor standard includes definitions of the disease and patients as well as guidelines for banning any stigmatizing of, and discrimination against, HIV/AIDS patients at places of work while preserving their privacies, " she revealed. The discussions dealt with the national policies and programs of the ILO members in handling this issue with a view to privacy of HIV/AIDS tests, counseling for patients, and education about preventive measures.
"This part of the global efforts to ensure decent work and equitable access to employment," she added, highlighting the importance of cooperation with other concerned international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
The UNAIDS is an innovative joint venture of the United Nations family, bringing together the efforts and resources of ten UN system organizations in the AIDS response to help the world prevent new HIV infections, care for people living with HIV, and mitigate the impact of the epidemic. - Kuna