Q. What is UN Cares?

UN Cares is designed to reduce the impact ofHIV on the UN workplace by supporting“universal access” to a comprehensive range ofbenefits for all UN personnel and their families.These benefits – known as the UN Cares 10Minimum Standards – include information andeducation, voluntary counseling and testing,access to male and female condoms, andemergency prevention measures in case ofaccidental exposure, among others. TheStandards also call for increased measures tostop stigma and discrimination.

Q. What will happen to my agency’sHIV workplace activities?

Since the UN Personnel Policy on HIV andAIDS was enacted in 1991, some agency-specific programmes have been implemented.This includes Caring for Us, We Care, andAgents for Change, among others. Despitesuccesses, overlapping workplace programmeswere creating confusion among staff, andduplication of effort.

Consistent with the UN reform agenda, UN Cares solves that problem by unifying HIVworkplace programmes across the UN system,and “Delivering as One” a comprehensive HIVworkplace programme.

UN Cares was proposed and continues to be ledby an inter-agency task force that designed theprogramme to build on the good work alreadybeing done, to ensure that UN Cares is aseffective and inclusive as possible for UNpersonnel and families, and to make it a modelof how a workplace should respond to HIV thatcan be shared with the broader developmentcommunity.

While agency-specific programmes are phasedout, ongoing activities will now come under theUN Cares umbrella and system-wideimplementation framework.

Q. How do UN Cares, the UNLearning Strategy on HIV/AIDS, andUN Plus fit together?

The three initiatives are complementary to eachother. UN Plus will continue to serve as theadvocacy and support network for UN systempersonnel living with HIV (HIV positive staff).The Learning Strategy will continue to buildstaff knowledge to address HIV on a personalbasis and in the UN workplace, and will alsowork to build UN system professionalcompetence to address the epidemic with ourpartner organizations. UN Cares provides thesystem-wide implementation framework andoverall coordination to deliver “universal access”to essential information and services to all UNpersonnel and their families.

Q. How is UN Cares funded?

More than 15 UN agencies have contributed tothe initial phase of UN Cares. The programmewill need additional resources to fully realize itsmandate.

Q. Why are HIV and AIDS prioritiesamong all other health concerns?

HIV is truly exceptional. In the 25 years sincethe first case was reported, AIDS has affected allregions of the world, including North Americaand Europe, and has become the leading cause ofdeath of both men and women of working age inAfrica and Asia. It has resulted in the singlegreatest reversal in the history of humandevelopment.

Frequently AskedQuestions

UN Cares: The UN system-wide workplace programme on HIV www.uncares.org

For more information,

visit www.uncares.org

or contact the

UN Cares Global

Coordinator at

info@uncares.org.

May 2008

More than 90% of people living with HIV areadults of working age. As a result, the workplaceis inevitably affected by the epidemic. Inaddition, the workplace is an ideal setting forprevention, treatment and care, as well as forefforts to combat HIV-related stigma anddiscrimination.

HIV is affecting the well-being of personnel andUN productivity. A 2007 study of the impact ofHIV and AIDS on the UN workplace found thatHIV and AIDS would cost the UN nearly US$10million a year in “replacement costs”(recruitment, induction, retraining), funeral costsand death benefits as compared to doing nothing.

Q. How many UN staff are living with HIV?

Conservative estimates by UNAIDS show that1.5% of UN personnel worldwide may be livingwith HIV. One percent or more is consideredepidemic at the national level.

Q. I’m living in a low prevalencecountry. What do I need to know?

HIV knows no boundaries. It exists in everycountry around the globe. It affects rich peopleand poor, educated people and those who havenever been to school, men and women, youngand old. We all need to know how HIV istransmitted and how it is not, what to do if wehave possibly been exposed to the virus and whatto do if we are living with HIV. We all need toknow how to talk to our partners and childrenabout HIV. Just as important, all UN staff have arole to play in creating a workplace environmentthat is safe for colleagues who may be livingwith HIV. Even if you live in a low prevalencecountry, it is likely that you, your colleaguesand/or family and friends have been touched byHIV in some way.

Q. How will UN Cares help UNpersonnel ensure confidentiality?

As an umbrella programme, UN Cares canadvise and share best practices onconfidentiality. But it is ultimately up to staff,managers and human resource officers to knowtheir rights and responsibilities. In brief, staffmust not disclose information about the HIVstatus of colleagues. In addition, there is nojustification for asking job applicants orpersonnel to disclose medical information, norshould personnel be obliged to reveal suchpersonal information about themselves. Accessto personal data relating to HIV status is boundby the rules of confidentiality, including not

placing information about HIV status inpersonnel files. Breaches of confidentiality erodeemployee morale, can disrupt productivity andcan lead to legal action.

Q. Will staff with HIV lose theirinsurance or their jobs?

No. HIV has no bearing on one’s job, contractualarrangement or access to insurance. If you haveinsurance through the UN system, you will notlose it because of HIV.

Q. Are all UN staff and their familymembers covered by UN Cares?

UN Cares aims to be as inclusive as possible byproviding all UN personnel and their families --regardless of contractual status -- access to theinformation and services detailed in the UN Cares 10 Minimum Standards. The oneexception is insurance, where only staff membersand their legally-recognized dependents areeligible.

Q. Why do we have condoms in theworkplace?

Used correctly, condoms are the single mosteffective way to prevent transmission of HIV(and other sexually transmitted infections),making their distribution an essential componentof any workplace prevention programme. Unlesscondoms are readily, reliably and affordablyavailable in the surrounding community,employees should have access at the workplace.The female condom is relatively new, but it hasfound ready acceptance among many womenand their partners and provides women withadditional options for disease prevention. Officesthat distribute condoms have found favorableresponses from employees, both men andwomen. This is also consistent with the UN'srole as a global leader in best practices forworkplace programmes.

Q. What can I do to stop stigma anddiscrimination?

Lead by example. Do not tolerate discriminationin workplace – stand up and speak out. Makesure everyone in your office knows the factsabout HIV and AIDS. Put a “human face” on theissue by hosting a presentation by a member ofUN Plus or someone from your local communityliving with or affected by HIV.

Sources: Impact Study of HIV and AIDS on the UnitedNations System, Final Report, Constella FuturesInternational, October 31, 2007.