Get Involved: Deliver AIDS Letter to German Embassies

In December 2006, Global Unions re-launched the HIV/AIDS Campaign to convince Heads of State attending next June’s G8 Summit in Germany to create a high-level G8 Working Group on HIV/AIDS, with technical support from such existing bodies such as UNAIDS and its co-sponsors. See News Release at:http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/ohsewpT_9Ca.EN.pdf

Note: The G8 is composed of governments from the following countries: Canada , France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the United States.

This launch reactivates a similar process last year, which succeeded in obtaining an agreement from the G8 Summit to institute a tangible process for surveillance of infectious diseases through timely reporting and sharing data. In addition, the Summit agreed to help developing countries build capacity for national surveillance and monitoring systems by providing technical assistance, training of experts and improving cooperation. Be assured that the letters sent by trade unions and the activities conducted last year were noticed. However, the G8 has yet to create a Working Group, which we consider a critical step towards fulfilling their promise to provide universal access to treatment by 2010.

Can YOU deliver a letter to the German Embassy in your country?We are now asking you to work with us to build on last year’s work by organizing some activity or public event to highlight the delivery to the German Embassy in your country a letter requesting support for a Working Group. A model letter for this purpose is available at:
English http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/ohsewpT_9Ba.EN.pdf
French: http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/ohsewpT_9Ba.FR.pdf
Spanish: http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/ohsewpT_9Ba.SP.pdf

Once again, we invite you to take this action as part of your activities for the 2007 28 April “International Commemoration Day (ICD) for Dead and Injured Workers”. We therefore ask you to complete your delivery event on or before 28 April. For more information, see the trade union ICD Backgrounder (pages 7-9) at:
English http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/ohsewpH_5Ag.EN.pdf
French: http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/ohsewpH_5Ag.FR.pdf
Spanish: http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/ohsewpH_5Ag.SP.pdf

To read about what union groups are planning, or what they have already done, please click here.

As indicated in our 1st December news release, a series of parallel lobby activities will take place at international meetings of Environment, Health and Labour Ministries. One such event has already taken place in Kenya in February, where the General Secretary of the Congress of Trade Unions (COTU), Francis Atwoli, formally launched our campaign with Environment Ministers. See news release:

http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/ohsewpT_9Cb.EN.pdf

Your role in this process is critical, as the G8 German Presidency can be most effectively influenced by communications that come from a number of different countries. As a minimum, we ask you to send this letter formally by post and to send us an e-mail message when this has happened. However, we would like you to consider making the delivery part of a more significant public gesture by, for example:

• organizing a delegation to deliver your letter in person, perhaps with other organizations (see below) to your designated G8 embassy. Be sure to alert the media to your plans;
• mailing a slightly modified version of your letter to some or all of the other G8 embassies in your country (wherever this is possible or realistic) and providing copies of all letters to the appropriate government officials in your countries;
• issuing a news release or some other public statement about your activity;
• organizing a small rally on or before 28 April, together with allied groups, to highlight trade union demands for universal access to treatment and development of an AIDS vaccine; and
• attempting to include references to HIV/AIDS and the call for the working group in government proclamations or resolutions commemorating the 28 April “International Commemoration Day (ICD) for Dead and Injured Workers”.

Prompt delivery of your letters will allow us to take the next steps for lobbying by trade unions in other countries and at international meetings throughout May and June 2007. You can be certain that your activities and communications will strengthen our efforts to reach our goal.

We encourage you to involve other organizations. We work closely at the international level with the World Aids Campaign and a number of NGOs from G8 countries. To see if there is a contact point for your country or region, please consult our HIV/AIDS “Workbook” which you will find at http://www.tradeunionsdunit.org/profiles/profiles.php?ID=3&Lang=ENG.

The HIV/AIDS “Workbook” also contains information about last year’s 28 April activities in your country or region.

Your delivery and our lobbying will form part of overall efforts by the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC) and Global Unions to influence G8 outcomes at next June’s Summit. This G8 Summit will focus on “ Growth and Responsibility”, with a sub theme for Africa and continuing to address HIV/AIDS. Your action, combined with those of others around the world, will have a decisive effect on the outcomes we seek.

As soon as we hear from you, we will issue a short news summary that you could, in turn, circulate to your own members. Please contact Lucien Royer at [royer@tuac.org]

Looking forward to a successful campaign, I remain,

Yours in solidarity,

Alan Leather
Chair Global Unions HIV/AIDS Advisory Committee
c/o royer@tuac.org
c.c. National contact points for ILO, UNAIDS, WHO & WAC

G8 campaign 28 April kick off – Copies of this trade union letter

English: http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/ohsewpT_9Bb.EN.pdf

Français: http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/ohsewpT_9Bb.FR.pdf

Español: http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/ohsewpT_9Bb.SP.pdf