(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)     On Wednesday, 20 November 2013, at the Princess Hotel, Providence, Guyana, a cross–section of stakeholders, including: parliamentarians; the judiciary, faith-based organisations; the private sector; civil society organisations; and youth will come together for a national consultation  under the PANCAP Justice for All Programme. The consultation is being spearheaded by the PANCAP Coordinating Unit in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

The consultation provides a forum for the community conversations around establishing and sustaining equal opportunities regardless of race, religion, class, gender, among others and is expected to  take forward the process to eliminate stigma and discrimination in the Caribbean‘s HIV response by 2015 - the deadline for the achievement of the millennium development goals.

In this context, the Guyana consultation will contribute to the development of a Caribbean roadmap. The roadmap will outline a  menu of  measures to be taken by national governments in collaboration with regional entities, as it relates to: increasing access to treatment, including affordable medicines; reducing gender inequalities, including violence against women, girls and children; promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights; achieving legislative reforms for modifying and repealing discriminatory laws which infringe human rights. The measures are also aimed at enhancing the family spirit through national and regional solidarity to support and care for those in need as well  as establishing targets for tracking progress.

The consultation in Guyana is the first in a series of similar conversations which are being held in the Caribbean, including in Grenada and St Kitts and Nevis later this month.

Under the leadership of the UN Secretary-General Special Envoy for HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean, Dr. Edward Greene, the Justice for All Programme build on initiatives and a number of outcomes from  activities undertaken by the UN agencies, the Futures Group, Caribbean HIV and AIDS Alliance, among others.

The Guyana consultation begins at 8:30 a.m. with a brief opening which the media are invited to cover.

PANCAP is a regional partnership established by CARICOM Heads of Government in 2001 to respond to the HIV and AIDS epidemic in the Caribbean.