NationStates Jolt Archive

I've spent a fair amount of time researching what really is a global problem: HIV/AIDS. I'm confident that most of us know somebody with this illness, and if you don't, sadly one day you will.

Please endorse the following proposal:


Needle Sharing Prevention
A resolution to reduce income inequality and increase basic welfare.

Category: Social Justice
Strength: Mild
Proposed by: Mikitivity

Description: The NationStates United Nations,

OBSERVING the continued health risk posed by injecting drug use (IDU), as reported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in its June 25, 2004 report titled, "World Drug Report 2004";

AWARE that it is common for injecting drug users to share their needles, in a practice that is commonly referred to as "needle sharing";

TAKING NOTE of the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) report "2004 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic", dated July 6, 2004;

CALLING ATTENTION to the fact that the UNAIDS report states that the "HIV epidemic remains largely concentrated among injecting drug users, men who have sex with men, sex workers, clients of sex workers, and their immediate sexual partners";

BEARING IN MIND that the UNAIDS report also found that in many regions of the world that 60% of injecting drug users are infected with HIV;

ALSO AWARE that due to the illegal status of most injecting drugs in many nations, that injecting drug users, like many other people living with HIV/AIDS and high risk groups, are less able to participate in prevention and treatment programs;

CONCERNED by the UNAIDS estimate that "AIDS is intensifying chronic food shortages in many countries where large numbers of people are already undernourished" due in part to the fact that people living with HIV/AIDS account for large portions of the agricultural work force;

ACKNOWLEGDING that while the best prevention and treatment programs are tailor designed to the individual cultures and societies to which they seek to help, that the scope of the AIDS Epidemic is global in nature;

NOTING the success of reducing HIV/AIDS (as well as other diseases such as Hepatitis B and C) through domestic, local, and non-governmental based needle and syringe exchange programs; [1], [2]

OBSERVING reports that needle and syringe exchange programs do not increase IDU, but instead have resulted in decreases in the number of injections per day; [3]

1. AFFIRMS the basic human right for all people, including injection drug users, to equal access to HIV/AIDS based prevention and treatment programs;

2. ENCOURAGES all nations to review existing free needle and syringe exchange programs and to consider adopting trial or study level needle and syringe exchange programs tailor suited to the cultural and society in which the program will be applied;

3.STRESSES that for IDU HIV/AIDS prevention programs to be successful, that the individuals that organize or participate in these programs shall not be subject to arrest or harassment, nor shall participation in these programs imply drug use;

4. COMMENDS existing national, local, and non-governmental needle and syringe exchange programs; and

5. REQUESTS that existing needle sharing prevention programs share the findings of their studies with other national, local, and non-governmental organizations interested in developing their own needle and syringe exchange programs.


NOTES:

[1] Australian National Council on AIDS, Hepatitis C, and Related Diseases for a real-world example.

[2] "Seattle and King County Needle Exchange Program" is another real-world example that these programs are cost effective and save money and lives.

[3] 1998 University of California San Francisco study titled: "Does HIV Needle Exchange Work?"


Approvals: 65 (Phoebos, Neologica, Evil Nemo, Corinos, Trekkers, New Hawking, NewfoundCana, Checkers McDog, Bloodmoon-Hyperion, Harkonnen-Wikkeiser, Ritonland, Coolet, Bob The Funky Fish, An almost utopia, Podemore, SCOS OJ, New Cyberia, United Citizenship, Chakravarty, White Lotus Eaters, Atron, Kalimon, Damon395001, New Hamster, The Non French, The Bolglands, Drunken Butterfly, Tuonela, EcoVille, Hong King, _Susa_, Yaddaya, Cancadia, The Kingdom of Heaven, Padmez, Mikes Hope, Stumperlowe, The Random Posse, Nikovakia, Freedom For Most, Sinn Feins Ireland, JaCK stUDs, Twilight Selene, Pocomoke, Calastar, Cornflake Gremlins, -Verbatim-, Barhead, Hashtonia, Javala, Zapania, The KGB - PRP, The Jovian Worlds, SpongebobGary, The Black New World, Retepland, Witten-Herbede, Biotopia, The Island States, Braaaiiiiins, Enerica, Thermidore, Minglex, Usermaatre, Bellisima)

Status: Lacking Support (requires 73 more approvals)

Voting Ends: Wed Jul 14 2004

OOC: Places you may want to visit:

http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp
-- http://www.unaids.org/bangkok2004/report.html
-- http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/questions_answers.asp
(NOTE: Look specifically at Q&A III for IDU exchange programs)

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/index.html
-- http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/pressrels/2004/unisnar849.html
-- http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/world_drug_report.html

When in doubt, use Google. And yes, that is a *lot* of dry reading. But the last link includes some wonderful (pdf based) graphics that really will make you rethink the line, "Nobody here does drugs".

Nice proposal - I don't really have the time to help on the advertising this time, but I'd definately urge my delegate on this one.

I've urged my delegate to look and approve

You have my support.

Lady Desdemona of Merwell,
Senior UN representative,
The Black New World

Thank you all.

I'm short on time right now, but I can provide links to additional research. I'm finding that most nations are actually asking very fair questions and others are most generous in their support.

But the proposal is still laking 50 endorsements, and I've telegrammed probably close to 375 UN Delegates at this point in time. I am running low on "clout" so to speak and could use help.

The biggest misconception ... "Do Exchange Programs Work?" They do and I've posted the reference, but I'll find the link. But if you talk to people and they dispute these claims, please direct them my way and I'll find the reports to back this proposal.

This isn't just a "Let's save the world" proposal that I made with no thought. And it is hard telling my government that these longer and researched proposals are a true battle in the UN. :/

10kMichael

It may be too early to begin debate, but I've been getting some polite emails questioning the logic behind needle exchange prgrams (nep). These are fair questions, that I'd like to address publically explain why I brought this resolution forward.

My government is a firm supporter of needle exchange programs, because when researching about HIV/AIDS we noticed how difficult it is to get people to talk about the subject *and* recognized that in some socities the subject is taboo. We also noticed that injecting drug use (IDU) is also taboo and held with contempt by many socities. The problem of course is that drugs, being illegal, do travel from country to country, and drug users carrying HIV/AIDS not only spread the diesease, but make up a substantial portion of many countries work force in fields like agriculture. A smaller work force threatens all of our economies.

Two things became clear:

(1) most nations have large debates on the subject (meaning you'll find ample opinions and studies), and

(2) that the studies done support the claims of the cost effectiveness exchange programs <-- of course that will be the case, since nobody is going to commission a study the other way.

Absent of course are substanstive debates about the quality of life and basic human rights of people infected with HIV/AIDS.

It certainly made my government wonder why nations will sometimes get defensive about the very idea!

After the illegal situation with Francos Spain and Great Bight mass griefing nations in the North Pacific (the mods have mostly turned a blind eye towards this sad event, by citing that feeder regions essentially have no rules), I was concerned that our attention would be turned away from other important global issues. Essentially, these governments were distracting us!

It is easy to write a resolution to save the trees. We've done it several times in nationstates ... in fact, a new tree resolution pops up every few months. I predict the next save the forests proposal is already in the proposal queue.

It is fairly easy to write proposals to save children. There are some excellent ones out there. And these are certainly worthwhile and noble causes to champion.

There even was a single HIV/AIDS resolution passed ... but nobody is willing to ever defend the human rights of drug addicts or convicts. While I'm not saying these people are saints, they are frequently invisible to governments, and if my government's proposal / resolution can even spark the imagination of a few players / nations, then we will have something positive. Having been subjected to the tryannical whims of nations like Francos Spain and Great Bight, my government realized that sometimes governments and communities need to take a stand and fight for those that have no resources to fight for themselves.

This proposal attempts to do just that. Please join my nation and *debate* this issue. Let's bring it to the UN floor!

[OOC: I so hate the invader game. The mods really choose to not recognize the grief that the tank rush and mass ejections have caused. I myself was not happy with neither Francos Spain, Great Bight, nor the NationStates moderators. Until I realized that there are real issues, not just ways to cheat the game mechanics that are worth discussing. I hope you'll help me get the remaining 26 or so endorsements so we all can have a chance to talk about the issues instead of arguing about silly game mechanics.]

I need *1* endorsement.

(And I'm *trying* to keep an open mind about this forum ... honestly. I'm having a hard time of it.)

The honourable member from Mikitivity can rely on the support of the Telidian government with regard to this proposal. I only hope that other proposal authors will take note of the due care and research your delegation always show when tabling proposals to the floor.

It has always been my government’s view that in order to deal with the HIV/AIDS pandemic governments should address the issue at all levels. There is little point if the issue of needle sharing is not addressed in tandem since the virus, like all other diseases, has not concept of social standing. This is one of reasons why Telidia has taken steps to legalise recreational drugs in order to ensure that these individuals are not regarded as the dregs of society. It is also our hope that allowing our society to grow from adolescence, it will ultimately rid itself from these harmful substances and with that the unwanted consequences such as HIV/AIDS.

Respectfully
Lydia Cornwall, UN Ambassador
Office of UN Relations
HM Government of Telidia

Mattikistan lauds this bold, possibly controversial proposal. As it does not seem to affect existing drug prevention programs, as basic, inalienable human rights are foremost on our minds, and as this could well help combat a dangerously rampant illness, Mattikistan will vote positively when the time comes.