Publications

This paper provides an overview of how current drug policies affect human development, including UNDP's mandate and activities. It highlights opportunities for UNDP to address the development dimensions of drug policy in its programme and policy support to UN Member States as guided by our 2014-2017 Strategic Plan. The paper also addresses potential avenues for UNDP to promote the development dimensions of drug policy in international norm setting fora, including the post-2015 agenda and the preparations for UNGASS 2016. Ultimately, its is hoped that the paper will be used by UNDP and other stakeholders to support policies and programmes that contribute to better coherence between drug control policies and practices and development goals.

New Consolidated guidelines on HIV testing services from WHO recommend standardized HIV testing strategies to correctly diagnose HIV infection.

New Consolidated guidelines on HIV testing services from the WHO recommend that lay providers who are trained can, using rapid diagnostic tests, independently conduct safe and effective HIV testing services.  

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in Myanmar is concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID) and female sex workers (FSW). HIV prevalence in the adult population aged 15 years and older was estimated at 0.54% in 2014. But data from HIV Sentinel Sero-Surveillance (HSS) indicates higher prevalence in 2014 among key populations: FSW 6.3%, MSM 6.6% and PWID 23.1%. Compared to 2012 data, the prevalence has declined from 7.1% in FSW and 8.9% in MSM, but has increased from 18% in PWID. An estimated 9,000 new infections occurred in 2014. Most HIV and AIDS cases are reported from large urban areas, and from the north-eastern and northern areas of the country where injecting drug use is widespread. 

The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) assigned its National Centre for AIDS and STD Control (NCASC) with the responsibility of leading the preparation and submission of the Nepal Country Progress Report 2014 in collaboration with technical partners and stakeholders for the Global AIDS Response Progress Reporting (GARPR). In March 2015, the NCASC nominated the Strategic Information Technical Working Group as an Advisory Group (AG) for the preparation of the country progress report. At the same time, a Technical Working Team (TWT) was also formed with the responsibility of the actual preparation of the report. The road map for the Country AIDS Response Progress for the GARPR reporting was developed in consensus with the AG and TWT.

Timor-Leste is still a low HIV prevalence country, where HIV prevalence of general population is well below 1%, while it is lower than 5% in any of the key population, including sex workers, men who have sex with men, and injecting drug users. There are areas and groups where the HIV epidemic is “concentrated”, however. This status has been determined from surveillance information, an integrated bio-behavioral survey (IBBS) in key populations (2011) and HIV sentinel surveillance undertaken in 2010 and 2013.

UNAIDS welcomes additional evidence released in May 2015 that early initiation of antiretroviral therapy has a positive effect on the health and well-being of people living with HIV. The United States National Institutes of Health-funded international randomized clinical trial START (Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Treatment) has found compelling evidence that the benefits of starting antiretroviral therapy as soon as someone is diagnosed outweigh the risks of delaying until their CD4 count has fallen to 350 cells/mm3.

The Ministry of Health’s 2014 statistics on HIV and AIDS show a slight increase of 3,517 HIV cases from 3,393 in 2013 to 3,517 new cases with a total cumulative of 105,189 HIV cases. The trend indicates a 78 per cent increase in sexual relations comprising homo/bisexuals and heterosexuals. While women and girls continue to be susceptible to HIV infection and experience HIV related health disparities, youths have also been found to be at risk. Hence, the implementation of the Red Ribbon Youth Club (RRYC) programme by the Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF), through its sister organisation Malaysia Aids Council (MAC), is pertinent in spreading awareness and education on HIV and AIDS among the youths, especially students in institutions of higher learning. Education and awareness programmes have also been designed to change the mindset and perception of society at large towards people living with HIV, especially with regards to stigma and discrimination against them and their families.

Following on from the December 2014 inter-regional Experts’ Meeting on “Realizing a Fair Migration Agenda: Labour flows between Asia and the Arab States Experts’ Meeting”, an Asia Tripartite Meeting was held on May 6-7, 2015, co-organized by ILO with the Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia. The Fair Migration Agenda, as outlined by ILO Director General Guy Ryder at the International Labour Conference (ILC) in June 2014, calls for "constructing an agenda for fair migration which not only respects the fundamental rights of migrant workers but also offers them real opportunities for decent work." A Fair Migration Agenda is one in which there is a fair sharing of the prosperity that migrants help to create. This can be achieved through building migration regimes that respond equitably to the interests of countries of origin and destination, migrant workers, employers, and nationals.

Thailand’s fishery and seafood processed products yield a great deal of revenue in international markets and become widespread in several regions around the world. These trends affect the business management and production of Thai seafood processing industry as well as fishery business which lead to the employment of a large number of migrant workers from neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. However, smong the large scale consumption of seafood and processed seafood, buyers and consumers in many countries push forward the fairness in trade, social responsibility, labour rights protection and legal labour. In 2010 US put a spotlight on Thailand in terms of child labour of shrimp and seafood processing industry. Samut Sakhon becomes the target area which is on the alert for child labour since the province is the migrant labourer reservoir and one of the most significant manufacturing area of fishery and seafood processing industry of Thailand. Migrant labourers immigrate into Thailand and become the main workforce in Samut Sakhon generation after generation in the manner of cycle - like process.