GENEVA - "The workplace must play a strategic role in the fight against HIV/AIDS," said ILO Director-General Juan Somavia, in a statement on HIV/AIDS in the world of work issued for the day. "It is a fight not only against the ravages of a disease but also against discrimination, intolerance, misconceptions and fear."
Events ranged from a series of public events designed to mobilize support for workplace activities against HIV/AIDS, to the launch of a number of new products aimed at providing the best examples of ways to prevent or manage the disease and its impact. Mr. Somavia said the workplace is a vital platform for reaching communities attempting to deal with the epidemic.
"Through the workplace we can protect people's lives and livelihoods by providing information and education, care and support," Mr. Somavia said. "The workplace is also key in protecting the rights of those infected or affected. And equally importantly, through workplace action we can send a strong message of hope: that women and men with HIV/AIDS can continue to live actively and work productively for many years, especially with care, support and treatment."
The ILO has played a significant role in the global campaign against HIV/AIDS through its expertise on issues in the world of work. The ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS in the World of Work, adopted in 2001, has become the global standard for dealing with HIV/AIDS in the workplace. From July 2005 to July 2006, the ILO is chairing the highest decision-making body of UNAIDS, the Committee of Co-sponsoring Organizations (CCO).
"Social protection can be seen as the other side of the coin of employment," said Mr. Assane Diop, Executive Director of the ILO's Social Protection Sector. "In close relation with our constituents, we need to encourage a culture of protection among workers through programmes of prevention and care in the workplace. One working man, or one working woman, with awareness and motivation to act on HIV/AIDS means a whole family protected, and through it the community."