International Labour Organization Joins UNAIDS
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Joint UNAIDS/ILO press release

Geneva, 24 October 2001 - The Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) today announced that the International Labour Or-
ganization (ILO) has formalized its commitment to fighting the global
HIV/AIDS epidemic by becoming a Cosponsor of UNAIDS.

The ILO joins the seven existing UNAIDS Cosponsors, UNICEF, UNDP,
UNFPA, UNDCP, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank. UNAIDS brings together
the efforts and resources of its Cosponsoring organizations to help
countries prevent the spread of HIV, provide care and support for
people infected or affected by the disease, reduce the vulnerability
of individuals and communities to HIV/AIDS, and ease the socioeco-
nomic and human impact of the epidemic.

"The ILO brings to UNAIDS its understanding and expertise in the
world of work. We know the workplace is a key location for HIV/AIDS
prevention and care programmes," said Dr Peter Piot, Executive Direc-
tor of UNAIDS. "ILO's Cosponsorship will considerably strengthen
UNAIDS."

ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said, "HIV/AIDS affects everyone
today but has an especially profound impact on workers and their
families, enterprises and employers, and national economies. With the
accession of the ILO to UNAIDS, we now add the historic force of tri-
partism - governments, workers and employers - to the international
efforts being undertaken to meet the challenge of HIV/AIDS and its
impact on the world of work."

The ILO has already made a major contribution to the global campaign
against HIV/AIDS with the adoption of a pioneering Code of Practice
on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work. The Code was launched at the
United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, in New
York, 25-27 June.

The new Code is a product of intensive efforts by HIV/AIDS experts
representing the ILO's tripartite partners - workers, employers and
governments. It provides guidelines for developing concrete responses
to HIV/AIDS at enterprise, community and national levels in the fol-
lowing key areas: prevention of HIV/AIDS, management and mitigation
of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the world of work, care and support of
workers infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and elimination of stigma
and discrimination on the basis of real or perceived HIV status.

Since the establishment of the ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS and the
World of Work (November 2000), the ILO has carried out country-level
activities in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America and the
Caribbean to support the efforts of governments and their social
partners at national, sectoral and enterprise levels to combat the
epidemic. In this regard, the ILO Code of Practice provides a basis
for developing national codes of practice and workplace policies and
programmes at the enterprise level. As a Cosponsor of UNAIDS the ILO
will be able to expand its activities jointly with other UNAIDS part-
ners to fight the epidemic.

For more information, please contact
Anne Winter
UNAIDS, Geneva
Tel: +41-22-791-4577

Dominique de Santis
UNAIDS, Geneva
Tel: +41-22-791-4509

Andrew Shih
UNAIDS, New York
Tel: +1-212-584-5030

You may also visit the UNAIDS Home Page on the Internet for more in-
formation about the programme:
http://www.unaids.org

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