High and rising HIV prevalence among populations of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender persons have now been documented throughout much of Asia and the Pacific region. Up to 40% of Asia’s epidemic is projected to be constituted by transmissions attributed to male to male sex by 2015, rising from 13% in 2008.1 Sex between men has already accounted for approximately a third of HIV transmission in Asia and the Pacific, although this is very likely to be underreported.2 Many of these infections are occurring and will continue to occur among young men.

Download this publication

The 2011 United Nations Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS was adopted by the UN General Assembly at a High Level Meeting on AIDS in New York on 10 June. After 30 years of the epidemic, the silence was finally broken with the inclusion of men who have sex with men (MSM) as one of the key affected populations (along with people who use drugs and sex workers).

Download this publication

This Policy Brief is adapted from the UNDP and APCOM report, titled ‘Legal environments, human rights and HIV responses among men who have sex with men and transgender people in Asia and the Pacific: An agenda for action’,1 covering 48 countries and territories of the Asia and Pacific region. The study considered legislation, cases, published research, policy reports and press reports, and drew from consultations with community representatives, legal experts and UN agencies. The following summarizes findings and recommendations relating to South East Asia with inputs from three of APCOM coalition members: Developed Asia Network (DAN), Insular Southeast Asia Network (ISEAN) and Purple Sky Network (PSN, covering the Greater Mekong Sub-region).

Download this publication

This Policy Brief is adapted from the UNDP and APCOM report, titled ‘Legal environments, human rights and HIV responses among men who have sex with men and transgender people in Asia and the Pacific: An agenda for action’, covering 48 countries and territories of the Asia and Pacific region. The study considered legislation, cases, published research, policy reports and press reports, and drew from consultations with community representatives, legal experts and UN agencies. The following summarizes findings and recommendations relating to South Asia with inputs from two of APCOM coalition members: INFOSEM (India Network for Sexual Minorities) and SAMAN (South Asia MSM and AIDS Network).

Download this publication

The legal environment in East Asia is generally more protective of human rights of MSM and transgender people than in other sub-regions of the Asia Pacific region, although some punitive laws and law enforcement practices remain and there are few protective laws in place. Male-to-male sex is not criminalized in East Asia. Post-operative transgender people can be legally recognized as their new sex on identity documents and can marry people of their former sex in China, Japan and South Korea.

Download this publication

This Policy Brief is adapted from the UNDP and APCOM report, titled ‘Legal environments, human rights and HIV responses among men who have sex with men and transgender people in Asia and the Pacific: An agenda for action’,1 covering 48 countries and territories of the Asia and Pacific region. The study considered legislation, cases, published research, policy reports and press reports, and drew from consultations with community representatives, legal experts and UN agencies. The following summarizes findings and recommendations relating to countries of the Pacific sub-region with inputs from APCOM coalition member, PSDN (Pacific Sexual Diversity Network).

Download this publication

The Strategic Plan 2007-2011 for the Ministry of Health is the culmination of wide consultations with a wide range of stakeholders in the private sector, non-government organisations (especially our partners in health), the central government with the National Strategic Development Plan 2007-2011 which draws extensively from the Manifesto of the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua Party and consensus reached with the Fiji Labour Party on issues of national importance, towards the achievement of the Vision of a Peaceful and Prosperous Fiji.