The votes are in — and new opportunities now exist to advance the health and human rights of those living with and affected by HIV. If you agree that we need a strong voice holding Canada’s new government to its promises of change, please support us by making a donation today.
As we have done in the past, we will ensure that human rights and sound evidence remain front and centre in the effort to end HIV and AIDS, and we look forward to working with the new federal government on these important issues.
But we’re nowhere near the finish line. In Canada and around the world, people continue to experience stigma and discrimination, often as the result of harmful laws and policies that violate human rights and fuel the spread of HIV.
During the election campaign, we sent each of the five major federal parties a questionnaire to gauge their positions on several critical issues related to HIV and human rights, including the rights of LGBTI people in Canada and abroad, access to supervised consumption services, the need for prison-based needle and syringe programs, access to affordable medicines, and sex workers’ rights.
We received overwhelming support from the four parties that responded, and there is real potential for making some significant legislative changes on several key fronts. We hope to see increased funding for the federal HIV/AIDS strategy and a national strategy on drugs that moves away from law enforcement and towards harm reduction. With a new government comes the expectation for a positive shift on these and other human rights issues.
We will be calling on the new government to follow through on commitments made before and during the election. In particular, we recall the Liberal Party of Canada’s pledges to introduce reform on a range of critical issues, with both domestic and international significance for people living with and affected by HIV. The party has committed to:
- repealing Bill C-2 (which blocks supervised injection services);
- decriminalizing and regulating cannabis;
- reviewing the “compelling evidence” for needle and syringe programs in prisons;
- replacing Canada’s new “flawed, unconstitutional” law on sex work, in consultation with sex worker groups;
- introducing legislation to “fully and completely” protect the rights of trans people in Canada;
- working with civil society groups to promote the human rights of LGBT people globally; and
- helping to “get more low-cost medicines and other essential medical supplies and equipment to people in developing countries.”
As the Legal Network looks ahead, we hope to build on our past experience and accomplishments. But changing the harmful laws and policies that trample human rights, and thereby hinder meaningful responses to the HIV epidemic, is not easy. To maintain our role as a leading voice in the movement for health and human rights for all, we need your help. Please consider making a donation to the Legal Network today as we strive to improve the laws, policies and programs that affect those living with and affected by HIV.
We look forward to your continued support as we seize the opportunity for positive change. The future is promising; with your help, we’ll realize that promise.
In Solidarity,
The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network
