Documents

Procurement Notice and Submission Doc
Terms of Reference ( ToR )

Overview

African countries are signatories to key international and regional human rights instruments which guarantee human rights to all individuals. This includes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the African Charter of Human and People’s Rights. The ‘African Women’s Protocol’ specifically recognises the sexual and reproductive health rights of women in the context of HIV and AIDS. In addition to the need to align national legal frameworks with these existing human rights commitments, there is also a growing recognition of the central role of law and human rights in effective HIV responses and, based on principles of accountability and responsibility, of the need to enjoin countries to take steps to strengthen legal frameworks to protect people living with HIV and key populations at higher risk of HIV exposure and to promote universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. In June 2011, with the UN Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS , Member States committed to reviewing laws and practices blocking effective HIV responses. They also committed to ensuring that national AIDS strategies and plans protect and promote the human rights of all people, in line with existing human rights commitments. More recently, in 2012, the findings of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law show that stigma, discrimination and human rights violations continue to create major obstacles to effective HIV responses across the world, including in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) Strategy 2012-2016 includes the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights as one of its five strategic objectives.............