Ei-iE

The Fourth World Congress of Education International, meeting in Porto Alegre (Brazil) from 22 to 26 July 2004:

1. Notes with concern: a. the new data presented by the UNAIDS report at the July 2004 World AIDS Conference in Bangkok, showing an increasingly rapid spreading of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, also to areas which untill recently had not been affected;

b. the introductory remarks by the UN General Secretary, Mr. Kofi Annan, highlighting that the efforts of the international community lag behind the existing needs;

c. the recent shift by some important partners in the international donor community away from the crucial intervention areas such as prevention activities, including school health programmes;

d. that in the light of this recent shift of priority, the HIV/AIDS prevention projects implemented by our unions are under serious threat.

2. Expresses on behalf of its members its appreciation to EI and partners for the fact that through their HIV/AIDS prevention programme about 2,000 trainers of trainers have been reached; over 50,000 teachers received training on HIV/AIDS prevention in 17 countries; this was achieved in close cooperation with the ministries of health and of education.

3. Recalls the recommendations and resolutions on school health and HIV/AIDS prevention adopted by previous EI congresses in 1995 (Harare) and 1998 (Washington) and by EI's Executive Board in 2000 (Brussels).

4. Calls upon EI: a. to give programmatic and budgetary priority at global and regional level to combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the education sector through a wide variety of activities such as teacher training, and the like;

b. to take the lead and coordinate activities which will ensure the continuation and the expansion of the HIV/AIDS prevention projects not only for our unions and countries but also in others countries where the needs are increasing; we emphasise the need to expand the programme beyond prevention activities.

5. Calls upon all EI affiliates, in particular those in the industrialised countries, to support the HIV/AIDS prevention programme and make all efforts to seek support at governmental and nongovernmental level for this programme.