In December 2009, the US finally lifted a 21-year long ban on the use of federal funds for needle exchange programmes. This policy change represents a major step forward and opens up many possibilities for advocacy and support for new programmes.
The IDPC Law Enforcement project took a big step forward in December 2009 with the first seminar taking place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the Royal Malaysia Police Force. The seminar was organised in partnership with the Malaysia AIDS Council (MAC).
ICASO is calling for the urgent involvement of community sector organizations in the review and reporting process related to the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. The review and reporting process for the 2010 period is already underway. Countries need to send their progress reports to UNAIDS by March 31, 2010.
The International Harm Reduction Association is recruiting for two new positions. The deadline for applications for both posts is 5th February 2010. The posts are Networking and Advocacy Officer and Human Rights Analyst: Death Penalty Project.
The call for nominations for the 2010 Red Ribbon Award is now open. As in the past, the award honors and recognizes
exceptional grassroots leadership in responding to the AIDS epidemic. Nominations are accepted from December 1st,
2009 until February 28th, 2010.
The British Columbia Court of Appeal in Canada has upheld a lower court ruling from last year that granted Vancouver’s supervised injection facility an ongoing exemption from certain provisions of Canada’s drug laws (prohibiting possession and trafficking of controlled substances) and that also declared those provisions of Canada’s law constitutionally invalid insofar as they apply to the users and site operators of Insite.
SafeGames 2010 (www.safegames2010.com), a consortium of local, national, and international harm-reduction and advocacy organisations, is working to ensure that Vancouver residents and international visitors celebrate safely during the upcoming Winter Olympics.
This committee set up the RBB Asian consultation meeting in Bangkok in January 2010 will focus on advocacy with other MPs, on effective policy and legislative changes as well as providing a mechanism for dialogue with communities of people who use drugs and people living with HIV. The Committee was formed with support from RBB and the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development.