Presented by Hassan Yussuff on Thursday, 30 September 2010

(Check against delivery)

The CLC, on behalf of 3.2 million workers, add their support to calls for the reform of Canada’s Access to Medicines Regime (CAMR) in order to save the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS.

Today, we too want to send a strong message to all Canadian political parties that they should approach the debate on C-393 and require reforms to CAMR in a non-partisan manner. This will require a strong commitment from the leadership of all four parties.

The CLC is doing its part for access to affordable medicine by working closely with unions in Canada and Africa to achieve MDG objectives. Our trade union organizations have, over the years, allocated resources which have allowed us to work with workers and unions in Africa on universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care.

The ITUC-Africa and the labour movement in Africa has called on Canada to support the Global Fund and to fix CAMR and make good on its repeated promises about supporting developing countries, at the G8/G20, the UN and WTO.

We welcome Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s commitment last week at the MDG Summit of US$520 million to the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB for the years 2011-13, bringing Canada’s total pledges to the Global Fund to US$1.3 billion so far. During the last G8, Canadian and African unions lobbied hard for such a commitment.

However, a clear pathway to promote prevention as a preference over crisis management is still missing, especially through workplace strategies that can reach entire communities. 

We also welcome Canada’s focus on maternal and child health for implementing MDG 4 and 5, but again these must be linked with MDG targets 3 on gender equality and 6 on AIDS, so as to promote prevention strategies, whilst eradicating poverty and hunger.

We echo a call by the CLC at last week’s summit - when Civil Society representatives in New York met with Canadian Foreign Affairs Department (DFAIT) - for our Government in Canada to work more closely with Civil Society and trade unions at home in implementing the goals of the MDG.

There can be no real accountability on spending Canadian dollars without accountability to Canadian organizations that are involved abroad in implementing related programmes. Currently this is not taking place.

The CLC agreed with Minister Beverly Oda when she said at a Summit side-event on accountability that Canada wants to measure progress through indicators, monitoring and reporting. Workplace prevention is very important for workers throughout the world.

In reference to Minister Oda’s comments, we as Canadians must also hold the Canadian government accountable for the failure of CAMR to deliver medicine to those who need it the most.

The Canadian labour movement will henceforth lobby strongly for an AIDS + (plus) MDG framework. We all need to unite on these important imperatives.

In closing, I would like to assure you that the CLC will do its part in promoting the principles behind the call to reform CAMR, and we will advocate for the adoption of Bill C-393.