Asia Pacific Leadership Forum on HIV/AIDS and Development - APLF

Website: http://www.aplfaids.com/

Viet Nam was one of the first countries in the region to engage strongly with the APLF. Outcomes of this early work in 2003-2004 are now becoming clear. The first step was to re -name APLF activities in Viet Nam as the “Viet Nam Leadership Forum” (VLF) to emphasize local ownership and engagement in the initiative. Based on a deep understanding of the political structure of Viet Nam, a strategy was developed to strengthen the engagement of the Communist Party, the National Assembly and key Ministries in addition to the Ministry of Health in HIV. Key representatives from these sectors attended the Shared Learning Workshop in Bali in 2003, and continued to work together with UNAIDS afterwards.

VLF activities have included an expansion of AIDS work with the Party Commission on Culture and Ideology, Science and Education and mass organizations such as the Viet Nam Women’s Union. The Social Affairs Commission of the National Assembly engaged further in HIV, and received support and recognition for their work. And on the government side, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Planning and Investment held major workshops on HIV, demonstrating the commitment of these powerful Ministries to HIV activities in Viet Nam.

VLF activities with these partners demonstrated the commitment of the larger political and government structures to tackling the increasing HIV epidemic in Viet Nam. The Party began re-phrasing communication messages about HIV, speaking about HIV as a “social issue” rather than a “social evil”, as previously. The Party began speaking out more strongly against stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHAs). Leadership in the National Assembly started re-examination of the legal framework for protecting the rights of PLHAs. And the Viet Nam Women’s Union expanded their HIV work, taking a more strategic focus. And the Prime Minister approved a National Strategy on HIV/AIDS in 2004, highlighting the values solidarity, compassion and social mobilization, and identifying the roles of six Ministries in the national HIV response. The work undertaken by the Party, National Assembly and government Ministries, supported by UNAIDS, is widely recognized as a major component in changing the climate on HIV in Viet Nam. It has helped to create the opportunities for the Party and government structures to take a more open, progressive and dynamic approach to HIV in Viet Nam. In late 2004, the Prime Minister told the UN Country Team that the UN approach to HIV has shown the government how to handle sensitive issues in Viet Nam, and expressed strong appreciation for this work.

The VLF initiative was well timed, and strategically focused to help move on the advocacy and leadership response to HIV in Viet Nam. And building on this, the focus for the 2nd phase of HIV will be on emerging civil society, gender, and the media.

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Advocacy Tool:

• Act Now in English (2MB) [link], Hãy Hành Động Ngay bây giờ in Vietnamese / bản tiếng Việt (3MB) [pdf]
• Portraits of Commitment (1.7MB) (in English) [link] [pdf]