the findings of its mid-term review, Jordan highlights the practice of national restrictions on migrants from neighbouring countries (notably Egypt, Iraq and Syria), as well as the effect of mandatory HIV screening policies on the estimated 1 million Jordanians working abroad, mostly in GCC countries.
9
Of the 43 countries, territories and areas worldwide that retain discriminatory HIVrelated restrictions on entry, stay and residence, 15 submitted reports on their national mid-term reviews. Among these countries, only four (Egypt, Jordan, Mauritius and Paraguay) have indicated that lifting restrictions is a priority issue, and three of these countries (Egypt, Mauritius and Paraguay) indicate that they are on-track to achieve this target by 2015. Lebanon, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Sudan and Tajikistan have also reported that they are on-track for lifting restrictions by 2015 (see Figure 9.3).
FIGURE 9.3 Mid-term reviews, priorities and plans in countries with restrictions on entry, stay and residence for people living with HIV, 2013 50 45
Number of countries
40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
Countries with travel restrictions
Countries with travel restrictions submitting mid-term review reports
Countries with travel restrictions submitting mid-term review reports having removal of travel restrictions as priority
Countries with travel restrictions submitting mid-term review reports and on-track to achieve this target by 2015
Source: Mid-term review reports 2013
Growing recognition of the harm caused by HIVrelated restrictions on entry, stay and residence There is increasing understanding that discriminatory restrictions on entry, stay and residence are inconsistent with the needs of an increasingly globalized business world. In November 2012, over 40 corporate chief executive officers (CEOs), representing nearly 2 million employees worldwide, cited both economic and human rights considerations in urging repeal of all HIV-related travel restrictions. Representing such prominent employers as Coca-Cola, Heineken, Johnson & Johnson, Kenya Airways, Merck, the National Basketball Association, Pfizer and Thomson Reuters, the CEOs emphasized that companies need the freedom to send their employees overseas, regardless of their HIV status, in order to succeed in a globalized, highly competitive world. UNAIDS 2013 Global report | 95