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- 2011 Political Declaration: Targets and elimination commitments
- Reducing sexual transmission
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- Eliminating new HIV infections among children
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- Eliminating gender inequalities
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- 2011 Political Declaration: Targets and elimination commitments
More feature stories on punitive laws
- Guyana launches national ‘faith-and-HIV’ coalition
- The National AIDS Programme Secretariat of the Ministry of Health in Guyana (NAPS/MOH) convened a National Conference on “faith-and-HIV,” supported by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) on 11 December 2008. The aim of the conference was to establish a national coalition of faith leaders of all denominations in Guyana to address HIV-related stigma and discrimination.
- New generation of health and human rights advocates inspired by Dr Jonathan Mann
- “We have lost him, but we have not lost the legacy he left us,” said Justice Michael Kirby of the High Court of Australia of Dr Jonathan Mann, the visionary epidemiologist, advocate and scientist who highlighted the inextricable links between human rights and public health. In commemoration of his untimely death ten years ago, and to celebrate his legacy and the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UNAIDS, WHO and OHCHR hosted “HIV, health and human rights: The Legacy of Jonathan Mann Today” on 24 November 2008.
- ICASA 2008: Social change needed to reduce HIV risk and vulnerability
- Social issues like gender inequality, violence against women and the criminalization of activities like sex work, injecting drug use and same sex intercourse are factors that can make people more vulnerable to HIV infection. To discuss the challenges of social drivers, UNAIDS Secretariat, UNESCO and the Social Change Communication Working Group held a satellite session at ICASA on Sunday 7 December.
- ICASA 2008: First Ladies of Africa speak out on stigma
- Stigma towards people living with HIV as well as the need to halt the spread of the disease were the main themes discussed by a gathering of First Ladies of Africa which took place earlier today in Dakar. Their panel discussion on the HIV response was moderated by Mr Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director
- HIV, Health and Human Rights: The Legacy of Jonathan Mann Today
- Today a public event in celebration of Jonathan Mann and his legacy on HIV, health, and human rights is being held at UNAIDS Secretariat, Geneva. The event, co-hosted by UNAIDS, the World Health Organization and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, also marks the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- “Artists Against AIDS” help fight stigma and discrimination in Russia
- UNAIDS has brought together 23 artists from Russia, Ukraine, the United States of America, Spain and Greece to participate in an art exhibition to help decrease stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV. All proceeds of the artwork sale will be donated to an orphanage that cares for children who have been affected by AIDS.
- Verdict on a Virus: Public Health, Human Rights and Criminal Law
- The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) launched on 13 November 2008 a new report Verdict on a Virus: Public Health, Human Rights and Criminal Law. The aim of the publication is to provide information about the criminalization of HIV transmission or exposure and its related health, human rights and legal implications.
- "What role can the law play?"
- During his recent trip to Beijing as a guest of UNAIDS, Justice Edwin Cameron of South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeals used every opportunity to raise the question, “What role can the law play in China in response to HIV?”
- Advocating against overly-broad application of criminal law to HIV transmission
- As more countries are passing laws that criminalize HIV transmission, public health and human rights experts are concerned about the potential adverse consequences of such laws for both effective responses to HIV and the individuals involved. In order to help guide policy, UNDP and UNAIDS recently published a policy brief on “Criminalization of HIV transmission.”
- Justice Edwin Cameron adds a new dimension to China - Africa relations
- The South African Supreme Court Judge Edwin Cameron visited China from 27th to 31st October at the invitation of China’s Ministry of Health and UNAIDS. Through his visit, he set out to support the response to AIDS in China with a special focus on legal issues, discrimination and rights of people living with HIV.
- Faces against HIV stigma and discrimination
- HIV has often been associated with behaviours that may be considered socially or morally unacceptable by many people such as sex work, sex outside marriage or with multiple partners, sex between men and injecting drugs. This single fact, fueled by high levels of ignorance, denial, fear and intolerance, has widely stigmatized HIV infection.
- People Living with HIV Stigma Index
- HIV-related stigma and accompanying discrimination are widely recognized as significant barriers to HIV prevention, treatment and care services reaching those who need them. To address this, a tool has been developed for measuring the magnitude of stigma experienced by people living with HIV.
- When red ribbon meets Olympics
- A range of initiatives by UNAIDS in China in partnership with the Chinese Government and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the run-up to the 2008 Games illustrate how sport can break down barriers, fight discrimination and make a difference in the AIDS response.
- Third meeting of the International Task Team on HIV-related Travel Restrictions
- The International Task Team on HIV-related Travel Restrictions concluded its third meeting with draft recommendations towards the elimination of HIV-specific restrictions on entry, stay and residence. In the coming months, these will be finalized and presented to the boards of the Global Fund and UNAIDS this November and December.
- Strong HIV and Human Rights Activist appointed as new UN Special Rapporteur
- Anand Grover, head of the HIV/AIDS Unit of Lawyer’s Collective (India) and a member of the UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human RightsAnand Grover, head of the HIV/AIDS Unit of Lawyer’s Collective (India) and a member of the UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights, has been appointed Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health by the UN Human Rights Council.
- Eurovision stars light candles to dispel discrimination
- The opening day of this year’s Eurovision song contest coincided with the 25th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial.
- International Day against Homophobia
- On May 17th, 1990, the General Assembly of the World Health Organization approved the 10th Edition of the International Classification of Diseases, that established that sexual orientation (heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual), on its own, “will not be considered as a disorder”.
- Leadership and AIDS: Gregg Gonsalves
- Gregg has been working on behalf of people living with HIV since 1990 when he joined ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) in the United States. In the early nineties, very little was understood about how the virus worked or how the immune system was damaged by it and there were no effective treatments to counter the progress of the disease. Most discussion about AIDS was taking place in the domain of the scientific community.
- Human rights and gender in HIV-related legal frameworks
- In adopting the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS in 2001 at the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, Governments have fully recognized the importance of protecting human rights and gender equality through appropriate legal frameworks in national responses to HIV.
- HIV-related travel restrictions
- Since the beginning of the HIV epidemic, governments and the private sector have implemented travel restrictions with regard to HIV positive people wishing to enter or remain in a country for a short stay (e.g. business, personal visits, tourism) or for longer periods (e.g. asylum, employment, immigration, refugee resettlement, or study).