- About UNAIDS
- Our work
- Targets and commitments
- 2011 Political Declaration: Targets and elimination commitments
- Reducing sexual transmission
- Preventing HIV among drug users
- Eliminating new HIV infections among children
- 15 million accessing treatment
- Avoiding TB deaths
- Closing the resource gap
- Eliminating gender inequalities
- Eliminating stigma and discrimination
- Eliminating travel restrictions
- Strengthening HIV integration
- 2011 Political Declaration: Targets and elimination commitments
More feature stories on punitive laws
- US Supreme Court strikes down policy requiring AIDS groups to oppose prostitution in order to receive US Government funds
- On 20 June 2013, the United States Supreme Court struck down section 7631(f) of the The Leadership Act. This provision mandates that no funds made available under the Leadership Act may “provide assistance to any group or organization that does not have a policy explicitly opposing prostitution and sex trafficking.”
- Community-led programmes critical to progress on AIDS in Sri Lanka
- Communities at higher risk of HIV infections should be placed at the centre of the AIDS programme design and implementation in Sri Lanka. This was the central message highlighted through discussions between representatives of civil society and the UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Programme, Luiz Loures, during an official visit to the country from 16-18 June.
- China’s Guangdong province to lift HIV restrictions on teacher recruitment
- In Guangdong, China’s most populous province, some bold HIV-related policy decisions are about to come into play. In the wake of concerted advocacy efforts—including by UNAIDS, UNESCO and ILO—the province has announced it will abolish restrictions which prevent people living with HIV from working as teachers.
- Organization of American States adopts bold resolution on HIV and human rights
- The Organization of American States (OAS) —the world’s oldest regional mechanism comprising 35 independent states of the Americas— has adopted a bold new Resolution on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights of People Vulnerable to or Living With or Affected by HIV.
- International cricketers team up to ‘THINK WISE’ about HIV prevention
- Cricketing greats from around the world have once more teamed up to promote HIV prevention and anti-stigma messages as part of the global THINK WISE campaign on AIDS. The initiative will run through the 2013 International Cricket Council’s Champions Trophy Tournament taking place from 6-23 June in England and Wales.
- Eminent Judges unite to address HIV, human rights and the law
- In Asia and the Pacific, almost all countries have punitive laws, policies and practices that hamper access to HIV services for people living with HIV and key populations at highest risk including people who use drugs, sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender people.
- UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador HRH Crown Princess of Norway calls for an end to stigma
- Addressing stigma and discrimination was underlined as critical to progress on HIV by UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador Crown Princess Mette Marit, during a site visit to a shelter for children living with and affected by HIV in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Right to health, right to life: HIV and human rights in Europe
- HIV as a human rights issue was the main theme of a high-level meeting co-organized by the European Commission and UNAIDS. The meeting explored the critical human rights issues in Europe that are resulting in stagnation of the AIDS response in Western Europe and an increase in new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths in Eastern Europe.
- Daw Aung San Suu Kyi calls to end stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV
- UNAIDS Global Advocate for Zero Discrimination and Member of Parliament, Aung San Suu Kyi joined more than 200 people living with and affected by HIV for an AIDS Candlelight Memorial Vigil on 26 May in Yangon, Myanmar.
- International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
- More than 30 years ago, gay men lit the first spark that kindled the world’s response to the AIDS epidemic. Thanks to the audacity and courage of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people, we have now seen extraordinary progress against AIDS around the world.
- Pacific nations seek solutions to laws and policies that block access to HIV services
- For activist and community leader Kapul Robert* from Papua New Guinea (PNG) accessing HIV services is a constant challenge. “Papua New Guinea has a law that says sodomy is illegal and this law is contributing to the high-levels of stigma existing in society for both men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people.”
- The Nordics: Keeping focused, getting results
- The long-standing commitment of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden to international development has rooted them firmly as leaders in international development assistance. They are strong advocates on human rights issues––addressing inequalities between and within countries––and have forward thinking policies for social development and health.
- Honduras reforms its penal code to end human right violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Honduras is moving a step closer to the UNAIDS vision of ‘zero discrimination’. Its Congress has recently adopted a reform of the Penal Code that will ensure legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
- First global forum of francophone women promotes women’s rights
- More than 400 women dedicated to guarantee the respect of the fundamental rights of women, their access to school and education, gender equality or the representation of women in politics gathered in Paris on 20 March for the first global forum of francophone women.
- Lessons from the AIDS response can shape new paradigm for development post-2015, Michel Sidibé tells UN Human Rights Council
- In a high-level address to the 22nd session of the UN Human Rights Council on 28 February, UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé, stressed the crucial importance of viewing the AIDS epidemic through a human rights prism. The AIDS response, he said, is inextricably linked with the human rights agenda. If the world is to get to zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths then ensuring rights, social justice, equity and gender equality is vital.
- UNAIDS and Denmark to strengthen collaboration to advance health and human rights
- UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé met with the Danish Minister of Development Christian Friis Bach on 27 February at the UNAIDS Headquarters in Geneva to find ways to further strengthen collaboration.
- Changes in Peru’s penal code will enable more young people to access HIV services
- The Constitutional Tribunal of Peru is amending an article in its penal code which for many years had criminalized consensual sexual activity among young people. Sentencing was particularly severe with adolescents facing up to 30 years in prison. Article 173 of the penal code was also preventing young people from accessing essential health and reproductive services for fear of prosecution.
- Breaking the conspiracy of silence
- Thabang Lebese was a little boy who grew up in Orlando East, Soweto. From an early age he could kick a ball—dazzling his family with his talent on the pitch. It didn’t take long before he was given the opportunity to join one of the major football clubs in South Africa and by the age 15 he was playing for the Kaizer Chiefs’ junior team.
- Changing attitudes towards men who have sex with men and transgender people in Myanmar
- The Help Myanmar was awarded a prestigious Red Ribbon Award at the XIX International AIDS conference for its work on the prevention of sexual transmission of HIV and other STDs. The Red Ribbon Award is the world’s leading award for innovative and outstanding community work in the response to the AIDS epidemic.
- Friends of UN Plus launched in Liberia
- The United Nations (UN) in Liberia has joined Mozambique, Swaziland, Rwanda and Ghana in launching the ‘Friends of UN Plus’ as part of its efforts to achieve a work environment that is free from stigma for all UN staff living with HIV and their families.