STOPAIDS stands in solidarity with those who have been denied entry into Canada to attend the 24th International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Montreal, Canada.
A month ago, we signed onto a letter calling for the Canadian Government to act urgently to ensure that all delegates would have their visa applications accepted. However, with just a few days before the conference, many partners are yet to receive visa approval, or had visas approved so late that the cost of attending is too high, and are therefore left to engage as best they can remotely.
The failure to ensure equitable access to and representation at the conference will only serve to re-embed the power structures that many at the conference work to change. Voices have been silenced, and the conference will not be successful without meaningful involvement of all communities living with and affected by HIV.
We call on the Canadian Government to urgently grant visa approval for all IAC attendees and for the International AIDS Society to undertake a detailed review of conference organising processes, and implement policies for future events to ensure access for delegates living in low-and lower-middle income countries.
We stand in solidarity with those who have struggled to gain access to the International AIDS Conference. We have staff members attending in-person. Please get in touch with Molly (molly-pj@stopaids.org.uk) if you would like any of the following support:
- STOPAIDS attendance at events
- STOPAIDS support with event planning or logistics e.g. technology
- STOPAIDS support with creating and sharing social media communications for events
Additional Resources:
- GNP+ Roadmap for People Living with HIV – https://gnpplus.net/stories/plhiv-roadmaps-for-aids-2022/
- Study on visa issues experienced by IAC delegates – https://drive.google.com/file/d/14GSIScJEDhR7nMl-vk-HmPmLgisG0M4K/view