HIV/AIDS, security and conflict, a new agenda for action

[Guest guest]

HIV/AIDS, security and conflict, a new agenda for action

Joe

According to a recent report, " HIV/AIDS, security and conflict, new realities,

new responses " from the joint, Security and Conflict Initiative (ASCI) of the

Social Science Research Council (SSRC) and Clingendael Institute for

International Relations in The Hague, HIV/AIDS presents new and different

security threats and the report proposed a new agenda for action.

First time in the global history of response to a health challenge, the UN

Security Council linked HIV as a security challenge. In its resolution 1308, on

17 July 2000, the UN Security Council had, among other things, encouraged Member

States to consider developing, in cooperation with the international community

and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), effective long-term

strategies for HIV/AIDS education, prevention, voluntary and confidential

testing and counselling, and treatment for personnel as an important part of

their preparation for their participation in peacekeeping operations.

On it's resolution number 8450 of 2005, the security council reaffirmed it's

commitment to prevent HIV/AIDS in the international peacekeeping operations in

the context of its responsibility in the maintenance of international peace and

security.

However, the alarmism of an immanent HIV crisis among the uniformed services

perpetuated decade ago has dissipated. Yet, linking HIV to security has provided

a gainful paradigm, which enhanced the perception regarding a host of issues

that still we need to address as an effective response to HIV.

Such issues include, the challenges of fragile states to address the HIV

challenge, violence against women in conflict situations and the role of sex

industry in the post conflict situations. In reassessing the links between

HIV/AIDS and security, ASCI puts forward 10 policy recommendations and five

broadly defined mechanisms for advancing its principal recommendations.

Policy recommendations.

1) Align HIV and sexual violence prevention and response.

2) Develop command-centred approaches to HIV prevention and AIDS treatment and

care in the uniformed services.

3) Integrating HIV prevention and response into the design and command of peace

support operations.

4) Integrate HIV and AIDS prevention and response into disarmament,

demobilization and reintegration programmes.

5) Reframe the testing debate.

6) Integrate HIV prevention and response into policing and law enforcement.

7) Increase focus on HIV and AIDS across borders, and in relation to traffic and

trade.

8) Increase continuity of HIV and AIDS responses during post-conflict

transitions.

9) Address HIV and AIDS in fragile states: strengthen local government,

community and family care arrangements.

10) Rethink the tools of measurement.

The action plan

1) National assessments — Provide technical and financial support for national

militaries, police, other security sectors and local government authorities to

carry out institutional audits and operational as¬sessments of HIV risks in the

context of post-conflict transitions.

2) Policy development — Provide technical and financial support for policy

development on VCT-TCP, command-centred approaches to HIV and AIDS management,

conduct and disciplinary policies and enforcement mechanisms, law enforcement

practices, HIV and AIDS in post-conflict transitions, and the management of

local government under stress due to the epidemic.

3) Regional collaboration — Promote collaboration among and within uniformed

services to harmo¬nize VCT-TCP policies, facilitate the study of trafficking

routes and support HIV-related resource mobilization.

4) Information collection and data analysis — Reassess and reformulate standard

epidemiological and behavioural models of HIV transmission risk (and related

survey instruments) to incorporate factors relating to gender, violence,

population movements and access to services; support macroeconomic modelling and

health-sector reforms that take into account the costs and consequences of

increased care burdens; reassess state fragility indices to reflect the impact

of HIV and AIDS on human resources and service delivery; and develop security

risk assessment tools for use in mission areas.

5) Emerging themes — Support exploratory and new policy research on emerging

trends and priorities. Through planning meetings, case-studies, data collection

and policy assessments, support is need¬ed to catalyze interdisciplinary and

comparative research and policy development in a number of areas: policing,

sexual violence, psychosocial factors, masculinities, DDR/SSR, decentralization

and trafficking.

http://www.ssrc.org/workspace/images/crm/new_publication_3/%7Be2090d2b-72a8-de11\

-9d32-001cc477ec70%7D.pdf