UN HIV/AIDS PERSONNEL POLICY

Background UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy was approved by the Executive Heads of all UN organizations, through the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC), in April 1991 All organizations within the UN system are bound by this policy 2 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Objectives Upon completion of this briefing, participants/readers will be able to describe the main elements of UN’s personnel policy regarding HIV/AIDS UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy 3

Main Topics Information and education Preventive health measures Testing, counselling and confidentiality Terms of appointment and service Health insurance benefits 4 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Information and Education - 1 All UNDP SMs and their families should be provided with sufficient, up-dated information to enable them: –to protect themselves from HIV infection –to cope with the presence of AIDS 5 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Information and Education - 2 Offices should: –have a continuous awareness programme on HIV/AIDS for all staff and their families –brief staff on the UN policy on HIV/AIDS in the workplace –brief staff on their entitlements/benefits 6 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Information and Education - 3 All SMs should receive a copy of and be briefed on the booklet “AIDS and HIV infections. Information for United Nations Employees and Their Families” The booklet may be accessed from the HIV/AIDS site under OHR intranet or 7 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Information and Education - 4 Up-to-date lists of –resource materials kept in the office –websites providing information, guidance and support are always available to all SMs who are encouraged to share them with their families 8 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Safe Blood and Plasma Expanders - 1 All UNDP SMs and their families should have access to HIV-tested blood and plasma expanders 9 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Safe Blood and Plasma Expanders - 2 Blood transfusions are not needed in most cases. Only individuals with severe blood disorders (such as hemophilia) might need blood transfusions Synthetic macro-molecule solutions (plasma expanders), are safe and available in every country and should be used by most people instead of blood transfusions 10 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Safe Blood and Plasma Expanders - 3 An up-to-date list of local sites where HIV- tested blood and plasma expanders may be obtained, is always available to all SMs who are encouraged to share it with their families 11 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Motor Vehicle Accidents - 1 Motor Vehicle accidents should be reduced and the following measures continuously enforced –fitting and compulsory use of seat belts in all UNDP vehicles –provision of and compulsory use of helmets for all riders of UNDP motorbikes –prohibition against alcohol and drug abuse by vehicle drivers –organization of training in on- and off- road use of four- wheel drive vehicles by all drivers 12 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Motor Vehicle Accidents - 2 –organization of basic first-aid training sessions –equipping UNDP vehicles with first aid kits 13 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Condoms All UNDP SMs and their families should have access to condoms –In duty stations (DSs) where there is no reliable and consistent supply of good quality latex condoms (female and male) the office will make them available in a simple and discreet manner 14 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Syringes and Needles - 1 All UNDP SMs and their families should have access to disposable syringes and needles 15 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Syringes and Needles - 2 When travelling to locations where there is no guarantee of the proper sterilization of disposable syringes and needles, the office will provide SMs with such materials 16 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Testing – 1 All UNDP SMs and their families should have access to confidential and voluntary HIV testing with adequate pre- and pro-test counselling 17 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Testing – 2 UN/UNDP health insurance schemes cover HIV testing at the normal 80 per cent reimbursement rate for two voluntary tests per year for the SM and each eligible family member 18 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Testing - 3 An up-to-date list of local confidential HIV testing sites is always available to all SMs who are encouraged to share it with their families 19 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Testing - 4 UN/UNDP does not require HIV testing for –employment –enrolment in: the Pension Fund any of the UN/UNDP health insurance schemes the Aetna Group Life Insurance Plan 20 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy x

Contractual Status - 1 A SM’s contractual status in the Organization will NOT be prejudiced by virtue of the fact that he/she is HIV positive or has AIDS 21 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Contractual Status - 2 A SM with HIV/AIDS should continue in service for as long as he/she chooses or is able to UNDP will endeavour to utilize his/her full capacity to perform duties which are within his/her capabilities In determining a SM’s capacity for work, the UN Medical Director will be consulted 22 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Contractual Status - 3 If, for reasons of health, a SM’s fitness for work is impaired by a health condition (HIV/AIDS or otherwise), reasonable alternative working arrangements will be explored taking into consideration the exigencies of the service and the capacity of the SM, including the possibilities under the Flexible Work/Life policy 23 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Contractual Status - 4 A SM with HIV/AIDS will be treated in the same manner as any other SM when being considered for: – reassignment –extension of contract –promotion or –other entitlements/benefits 24 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Reassignment - 1 When a SM has informed the UN Medical Service of his/her HIV positive status, the UN Medical Director: –will not clear him/her for assignment to countries with certain live vaccine requirements, poor health care facilities, poor sanitation or high risk of infectious diseases because of the substantially increased risk to his/her health –will advise UNDP of the DSs to which the SM may be assigned to, and the SM will be informed of the DSs to which he/she may apply for 25 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Reassignment - 2 Staff who are aware of their HIV positive status and who have not informed the UN Medical Service of this fact are cautioned not to apply for assignments to countries which would pose risks to their health 26 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Informing Status - 1 SMs with HIV/AIDS are not obliged to inform UNDP or any of his/her colleagues of his/her status 27 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Informing Status - 2 However, there are situations under which a SM is encouraged to reveal his/her status, e.g.: –Travel/reassignment to countries: Requiring live vaccination against certain diseases With prevalent infectious diseases, poor sanitation or poor health care facilities –Performance decline - permitting the Organization to provide support and make alternative work arrangements which are within the SM’s capacity 28 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Travel – 1 When a SM has informed the UN Medical Service of his/her HIV positive status, the UN Medical Director: –will not clear him/her for travel to countries/locations with certain live vaccine requirements, poor health care facilities, poor sanitation or high risk of infectious diseases because of the substantially increased risk to his/her health 29 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Travel - 2 Staff who are aware of their HIV positive status and who have not informed the UN Medical Service of this fact are cautioned to consult their personal physician before travelling to countries/locations which would pose risks to their health 30 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Travel - 3 Offices will provide SMs with safety precautions including advice on travel kits for HIV prevention 31 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Working Environment Offices must create a stable and supportive work environment for SMs who are affected by HIV/AIDS either because : –they are infected –their family members are infected and/or –they are working with persons who are infected 32 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Stigmatization, Harassment, Discrimination SMs with HIV/AIDS may NOT be subject to any form of –stigmatization –harassment –discrimination 33 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Confidentiality Confidentiality within the UNDP workplace must be maintained at all times –All SMs must strictly adhere to the procedures on confidentiality 34 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Medical Records Medical records of SMs are the exclusive domain of the UN Medical Service Besides the UN Medical Service, absolutely no other individual (including HR staff) is authorized to review or discuss the medical records of SMs 35 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Health Insurance - 1 Premiums of HIV positive SMs are no different than those of other SMs 36 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Health Insurance - 2 Coverage of HIV positive SMs is no different than those of other SMs All UN/UNDP health insurance schemes cover HIV treatment and drugs as any other disease, within the limitations of the applicable scheme 37 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Any Questions? 38 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy

Thank You 39 UN HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy