ITS EDUCATION ASIA ARTICLE

Observances this week

By Danny Harrington, MD ITS Education Asia

There are a number of important International days this week. Today, 1^st December is World AIDS Day, and every year, the world commemorates people around the world unite to show support for people living with and affected by HIV and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS.

On 2^nd December is the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. More than 40 million people worldwide are victims of modern slavery and more than 150 million children are subject to child labour, accounting for almost one in ten children around the world. The focus of this day is on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.

3^rd December is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Disability inclusion is an essential condition to upholding human rights, sustainable development, and peace and security. It is also central to the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind.