November 2004:

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE PARLIAMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

AND

DEPUTIES OF THE STATE DUMA OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

ON COLLABORATION IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS

Recognizing that the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation face a strategic challenge from the HIV virus that causes AIDS;

Acknowledging that the HIV/AIDS epidemic carries significant socio-economic consequences and directly affects security and stability in all states of the world, including the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation;

Valuing the health and well-being of British and Russian societies, as well as the broader global community;

Acknowledging that members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation have important social obligations to their societies;

Recognizing that the Parliament of the United Kingdom and the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation should actively participate in the design and implementation of national HIV/AIDS programmes and global initiatives of HIV prevention, education, and treatment;

Recognizing that members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation can fight HIV/AIDS by strengthening relevant legislation, expanding budgetary expenditures for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, and improving the legislative base to fight discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS and support the protection of their rights;

Confirming that members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation recognize the importance of international collaboration and the regular exchange of best practices related to HIV prevention and treatment;

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS of the United Kingdom and the Interfactional Deputies' Working Group on Prevention and Fight Against AIDS, established by the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, agree to collaborate and accept the following responsibilities:

• Recognize HIV/AIDS as a global economic and security problem requiring political leadership at the national and international levels;

• Raise awareness among senior British and Russian decision-makers from government, business, and civil society about socio-economic implications of HIV/AIDS;

• Work to expand public-private partnerships in the fight against AIDS through regular collaboration between parliamentarians and representatives of civil society, including people living with HIV/AIDS;

• Take a public stand against discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS and members of vulnerable groups by speaking publicly about the importance of care and support for these individuals and ensuring that relevant legislation protects their rights;

• Work to strengthen relevant legislation to ensure its consistency with international best practices and commitments signed by the governments of the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS in September 2001;

• Work to increase access to treatment, care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS in the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation, as well as internationally, in order to improve the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS, contribute to the reduction in global poverty, and help the international community meet the UN Millennium Development Goals;

• Motivate collaboration between legislative and executive powers, the scientific communities, civil society, and people living with HIV/AIDS in the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation;

• Work to ensure that HIV/AIDS remain a priority item on the agendas of international bodies and institutions, including the G-8 and the Security Council of the United Nations;

• Support the establishment of a Transatlantic Coalition of Legislators Against HIV/AIDS - organized by Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS (TPAA) - that aims to strengthen international strategy of the fight against the epidemic, increase the input of legislators from various states in this fight, as well as to protect human rights.

Signed in the House of Commons, Parliament of the United Kingdom, in the City of London, on this day, November 16, 2004:

N. Gerrard,

Member of Parliament,
Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Working Group on AIDS, UK

T. Yakovleva,

Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation,
Chair of the State Duma Committee on Healthcare,
Deputy Chair of the Interfactional Deputies' Working Group on Prevention and Fight Against AIDS,
Russian Federation