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sexual health and human rights in the african region - The ICHRP

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Ben<strong>in</strong> 295 <strong>and</strong> Burk<strong>in</strong>a Faso 296 Gu<strong>in</strong>ea 297 , Gu<strong>in</strong>ea-Bissau, 298 Mali, 299 Niger, 300 Sierra<br />

Leone 301 <strong>and</strong> Togo 302 are examples adopted legislation that prohibits HIV-related<br />

discrim<strong>in</strong>ation as part of a strategy <strong>in</strong>tended to protect both public <strong>health</strong> as well<br />

as <strong>the</strong> <strong>human</strong> <strong>rights</strong> of people liv<strong>in</strong>g with HIV.<br />

2.11 Sexual Orientation as a Protected Ground<br />

[72] In <strong>the</strong> era of <strong>the</strong> HIV/AIDS p<strong>and</strong>emic, especially, discrim<strong>in</strong>ation on <strong>the</strong> basis of<br />

<strong>sexual</strong> orientation has a tendency of impos<strong>in</strong>g silence on acknowledg<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong><br />

recogniz<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> diversity of <strong>sexual</strong>ities, <strong>and</strong>, <strong>in</strong> consequence, underm<strong>in</strong>es ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />

than facilitates access to treatment, HIV counsel<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> education <strong>and</strong><br />

prevention strategies. Though exist<strong>in</strong>g United Nations <strong>human</strong> <strong>rights</strong> <strong>in</strong>struments<br />

do not explicitly protect <strong>sexual</strong> orientation aga<strong>in</strong>st unfair discrim<strong>in</strong>ation, at least<br />

<strong>the</strong> Human Rights Committee has adopted <strong>the</strong> approach that <strong>sexual</strong> orientation<br />

is an implicitly protected ground under <strong>the</strong> non-discrim<strong>in</strong>ation clause of <strong>the</strong><br />

Covenant on Civil <strong>and</strong> Political Rights as ‘o<strong>the</strong>r status’. 303 <strong>The</strong> Committee on<br />

Economic, Social <strong>and</strong> Cultural Rights has clearly said that ‘o<strong>the</strong>r status’ <strong>in</strong> article<br />

2(1) of <strong>the</strong> Convention on Economic, Social <strong>and</strong> Cultural Rights <strong>in</strong>cludes ‘<strong>sexual</strong><br />

orientation’. 304 African Charter-based <strong>in</strong>struments do not protect <strong>sexual</strong><br />

progeny of <strong>the</strong> Kenyan <strong>and</strong> Tanzanian HIV/AIDS prevention <strong>and</strong> control legislation. <strong>The</strong> ‘model laws’<br />

draw <strong>the</strong>ir orientation from <strong>in</strong>ternational guidel<strong>in</strong>es <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> particular <strong>the</strong> United Nations General<br />

Assembly Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, GA Res S-26/2 of 27 June 2001. But it does not<br />

follow that <strong>the</strong> manner <strong>in</strong> which <strong>the</strong> laws are actually drafted is necessarily <strong>human</strong> <strong>rights</strong> compliant:<br />

Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network A Human Rights Analysis of N’Djamena Model Legislation on AIDS <strong>and</strong><br />

HIV-specific Legislation <strong>in</strong> Ben<strong>in</strong>, Gu<strong>in</strong>ea, Gu<strong>in</strong>ea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone <strong>and</strong> Togo Canadian<br />

HIV/AIDS Legal Network (2007).<br />

295 Article 18 of Ben<strong>in</strong>’s Law 2003-04 of 3 March 2003 which prohibits HIV-related discrim<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>in</strong><br />

access<strong>in</strong>g <strong>sexual</strong> <strong>and</strong> reproductive services.<br />

296 Article 4 of Burk<strong>in</strong>a Faso’s Law 049-2005/AN which prohibits HIV-related discrim<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

exercise of legal <strong>rights</strong> to hous<strong>in</strong>g, education, employment, <strong>health</strong> <strong>and</strong> social welfare.<br />

297 Law on Prevention, Care <strong>and</strong> Control of HIV/AIDS No 2005-25 of 2005 (Gu<strong>in</strong>ea).<br />

Law 2003-04 of 3 March 2003 (Ben<strong>in</strong>).<br />

298 Framework Law Relat<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> Prevention, Treatment, <strong>and</strong> Control of HIV/AIDS No. 64/2006/QH11<br />

of 29 June 2006 (Gu<strong>in</strong>ea Bissau).<br />

299 Law Establish<strong>in</strong>g Rules Relat<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> Prevention, Care, <strong>and</strong> Control of HIV/AIDS No 06-28 of June<br />

2006 (Mali).<br />

300 Law Relat<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> Prevention, Care, <strong>and</strong> Control of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Law No<br />

2007-08 of 30 April 2007 (Niger).<br />

301 Prevention <strong>and</strong> Control of HIV <strong>and</strong> AIDS Act of 2007 (Sierra Leone).<br />

302 Law on <strong>the</strong> Protection of People with Respect to HIV/AIDS No 2005-012 (2005) (Togo).<br />

303 Toonen v Australia Communication Number 488/1992 (31 March 1994), United Nations Human Rights<br />

Committee Document No CCPR/C/50/D/488/1992.<br />

304 <strong>The</strong> Committee <strong>in</strong> its General Comment 20 on Non-Discrim<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>in</strong> Economic, Social <strong>and</strong> Cultural<br />

Rights E/C.12/GC/20 25 May 2009, para 32.<br />

97

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