In a historic move, some 160 Heads of State and Government gathered at a special United Nations (UN) General Assembly meeting in New York on 25 September to adopt the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The long-awaited era of the post-2015 global development agenda has begun.

The summit document, Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, with its 17 goals and 169 targets, is a call to action in five vital areas, encompassing people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. This universal, integrated and transformative agenda aims to spur action that will end poverty and build a more sustainable world over the next 15 years.

Before the opening of the UN Summit, His Holiness Pope Francis addressed the gathering, where he spoke about the need to protect the natural environment and put an end to exclusion. The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took the floor during the opening ceremony and a brief address was given by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai.

The Sustainable Development Summit, taking place during the seventieth session of the UN General Assembly, will explore six specific themes over two days in interactive dialogues, before a final closing plenary session. These themes include ending poverty and hunger, empowering women and girls and leaving no one behind, fostering sustainable economic growth, combating climate change, and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions.

The SDGs are the result of a three-year-long participatory process. The decision to launch a process to develop a set of SDGs was made by UN Member States at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012.

A UNAIDS statement on the occasion of the UN Summit for the adoption of the Post-2015 development agenda was delivered at the High-Level plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly by UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Jan Beagle.

United Nations entities call on States to act urgently to end violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI)[1] adults, adolescents and children.

All people have an equal right to live free from violence, persecution, discrimination and stigma. International human rights law establishes legal obligations on States to ensure that every person, without distinction, can enjoy these rights. While welcoming increasing efforts in many countries to protect the rights of LGBTI people, we remain seriously concerned that around the world, millions of LGBTI individuals, those perceived as LGBTI and their families face widespread human rights violations. This is cause for alarm – and action.

Failure to uphold the human rights of LGBTI people and protect them against abuses such as violence and discriminatory laws and practices, constitute serious violations of international human rights law and have a far-reaching impact on society – contributing to increased vulnerability to ill health including HIV infection, social and economic exclusion, putting strain on families and communities, and impacting negatively on economic growth, decent work and progress towards achievement of the future Sustainable Development Goals. States bear the primary duty under international law to protect everyone from discrimination and violence. These violations therefore require an urgent response by governments, parliaments, judiciaries and national human rights institutions. Community, religious and political leaders, workers’ organizations, the private sector, health providers, civil society organizations and the media also have important roles to play. Human rights are universal – cultural, religious and moral practices and beliefs and social attitudes cannot be invoked to justify human rights violations against any group, including LGBTI persons.

PROTECTING INDIVIDUALS FROM VIOLENCE

States should protect LGBTI persons from violence, torture and ill-treatment, including by:

• Investigating, prosecuting and providing remedy for acts of violence, torture and ill-treatment against LGBTI adults, adolescents and children, and those who defend their human rights;
• Strengthening efforts to prevent, monitor and report such violence;
• Incorporating homophobia and transphobia as aggravating factors in laws against hate crime and hate speech;
• Recognizing that persecution of people because they are (or are perceived to be) LGBTI may constitute a valid ground for asylum, and not returning such refugees to a place where their life or freedom might be threatened.

The United Nations and others have documented widespread physical and psychological violence against LGBTI persons in all regions - including murder, assault, kidnapping, rape, sexual violence, as well as torture and ill-treatment in institutional and other setting. LGBTI youth and lesbian, bisexual and transgender women are at particular risk of physical, psychological and sexual violence in family and community settings. LGBTI persons often face violence and discrimination when seeking refuge from persecution and in humanitarian emergencies. They may also face abuse in medical settings, including unethical and harmful so-called "therapies" to change sexual orientation, forced or coercive sterilization, forced genital and anal examinations, and unnecessary surgery and treatment on intersex children without their consent. In many countries, the response to these violations is inadequate, they are underreported and often not properly investigated and prosecuted, leading to widespread impunity and lack of justice, remedies and support for victims. Human rights defenders combatting these violations are frequently persecuted and face discriminatory restrictions on their activities.

REPEALING DISCRIMINATORY LAWS

States should respect international human rights standards, including by reviewing, repealing and establishing a moratorium on the application of:

• Laws that criminalize same-sex conduct between consenting adults;
• Laws that criminalize transgender people on the basis of their gender expression;
• Other laws used to arrest, punish or discriminate against people on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

In 76 countries, laws still criminalize consensual same-sex relationships between adults, exposing individuals to the risk of arbitrary arrest, prosecution, imprisonment – even the death penalty, in at least five countries. Laws criminalizing cross-dressing are used to arrest and punish transgender people. Other laws are used to harass, detain, discriminate or place restrictions on the freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. These discriminatory laws contribute to perpetuating stigma and discrimination, as well as hate crime, police abuse, torture and ill-treatment, family and community violence, and negatively affect public health by impeding access to health and HIV services.

PROTECTING INDIVIDUALS FROM DISCRIMINATION

States should uphold international human rights standards on non-discrimination, including by:

• Prohibiting discrimination against LGBTI adults, adolescents and children in all contexts – including in education, employment, healthcare, housing, social protection, criminal justice and in asylum and detention settings;
• Ensuring legal recognition of the gender identity of transgender people without abusive requirements;
• Combating prejudice against LGBTI people through dialogue, public education and training;
• Ensuring that LGBTI people are consulted and participate in the design, implementation and monitoring of laws, policies and programmes that affect them, including development and humanitarian initiatives.

LGBTI people face widespread discrimination and exclusion in all contexts - including multiple forms of discrimination based on other factors such as sex, race, ethnicity, age, religion, poverty, migration, disability and health status. Children face bullying, discrimination or expulsion from schools on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, or that of their parents. LGBTI youth rejected by their families experience disproportionate levels of suicide, homelessness and food insecurity. Discrimination and violence contribute to the marginalization of LGBTI people and their vulnerability to ill health including HIV infection, yet they face denial of care, discriminatory attitudes and pathologization in medical and other settings. Transgender people are frequently denied legal recognition of their preferred gender or face abusive requirements such as forced sterilization, treatment or divorce to obtain it, without which they suffer exclusion and marginalization. The exclusion of LGBTI people from the design, implementation and monitoring of laws and policies that affect them perpetuates their social and economic marginalization.

UNITED NATIONS SUPPORT

Our organizations stand ready to support and assist Member States and other stakeholders as they work to address the challenges outlined in this statement – including through constitutional, legislative and policy changes, strengthening of national institutions, and education, training and other initiatives to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the human rights of all LGBTI people.

[1] While this statement refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people, it should also be read to refer to other people who face violence and discrimination on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics, including those who may identify with other terms.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Countries adopt an ambitious new development agenda that will leave no one behind

NEW YORK/GENEVA, 25 September 2015—UNAIDS has welcomed the adoption by world leaders of the new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which set the framework for global development policy over the next 15 years. The ambitious agenda outlines 17 goals ranging from ending poverty and hunger, to achieving gender equality and combatting climate change.

“Today marks a historic opportunity for the world to unite for a healthier planet and a healthier future for all,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Commitment, action and implementation will allow for truly sustainable results for people everywhere.”

The agenda builds on the achievements of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals which were set in 2000 and included a commitment to halt and reverse the AIDS epidemic. Since then, there has been massive scale up of the response to HIV which enabled the world to not only achieve, but actually exceed the AIDS targets of Millennium Development Goal 6. UNAIDS has now set a firm course to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the new Sustainable Development Goals.

To achieve this UNAIDS has developed a Fast-Track approach to reach a set of time-bound targets by 2020. The targets include reducing new HIV infections by 75%, ensuring 90% of all people living with HIV know their HIV status, ensuring 90% of people who know their status have access to treatment and that 90% of people on treatment have supressed viral loads, keeping them healthy and reducing the risk of transmission.

The response to HIV spans many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and is included under Sustainable Goal 3, to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. UNAIDS looks forward to working closely with all partners to ensure a healthier, more equitable future which leaves no one behind.

“The targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals provide us with a road map to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Mr Sidibé. “This international framework has the potential to save millions of lives and to achieve fairer and more just outcomes for people everywhere.”

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Strong focus on adolescent girls and young women and on ensuring access to treatment will Fast-Track results

NEW YORK/GENEVA, 26 September 2015—UNAIDS welcomes the ambitious new targets set by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) just one day after the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by United Nations Member States at the UN headquarters in New York which include ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

PEPFAR has set specific targets for preventing new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women aged 15 to 24. The targets also include ensuring access to lifesaving antiretroviral therapy for 12.9 million children, pregnant women and adults by the end of 2017.

“The United States of America’s continued commitment will be a stepping stone towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Under the bold leadership of President Obama, these generous investments are and will continue to save millions of lives.”

The targets set by PEPFAR will make a significant contribution to the UNAIDS Fast-Track approach to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. This announcement will create momentum to achieve the 90-90-90 HIV treatment target whereby 90% of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of people who know their HIV status are accessing treatment and 90% of people on treatment have suppressed viral loads.

As well as expanding access to HIV treatment, PEPFAR’s newly announced targets aim to reduce HIV incidence among adolescent girls and young women by 40% by the end of 2017 in PEPFAR focus areas across 10 countries—Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. These 10 countries accounted for nearly half of all new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women in 2014. The commitments also include the provision to cumulatively reach up to 13 million men with voluntary medical male circumcision for HIV prevention by the end of 2017.

UNAIDS looks forward to continuing to work closely with PEPFAR towards ending the AIDS epidemic as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Innovation and new means of implementation will ensure countries deliver on 2030 AIDS promises

NEW YORK/GENEVA, 27 September 2015—The Governments of Kenya and Malawi, together with UNAIDS, are leading an urgent call for new investment and improvements in health service delivery to put the world on course to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

The call was made during a high-level event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the eve of the historic seventieth session of the United Nations General Assembly. Leaders from around the world gathered at the event to pledge their support and commitment to the UNAIDS Fast-Track approach and to finding new and innovative ways of delivering essential health care to people most in need.  

“We believe we are on the right track, but reaching the Fast-Track Targets won’t be easy,” said President Peter Mutharika of Malawi. “We must expand and scale up HIV services. Malawi is ready to see this journey through and end AIDS by 2030.” Malawi has already taken bold steps to reach its targets, having recently announced that it will provide antiretroviral therapy to everyone living with HIV as of April 2016. 

The AIDS response to date has been the most successful response to any modern epidemic. There have been massive reductions in new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths over the past 15 years and more than 15 million people now have access to antiretroviral therapy.

To take the AIDS response forward, UNAIDS has developed a Fast-Track approach to reach a set of time-bound targets by 2020. The targets include 90% of all people living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 90% of people who know their status having access to treatment and 90% of people on treatment having supressed viral loads. They also include reducing new HIV infections by 75% and achieving zero discrimination.

“Over the last decades we have made great progress in combatting AIDS but it is still unfinished business,” said President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya. “We must all continue to galvanize additional resources for the AIDS response, both international and domestic.  We must invest in HIV prevention, care and treatment services because there is simply no other option.”

The massive scale-up of services over the past 15 years has resulted in 30 million new HIV infections and 8 million deaths averted over the last 15 years.

“It is no longer a dream; we have to believe that we can end AIDS. Unfortunately many people still continue to be stigmatized and we just need to push from every front to make sure that no one is left behind,” said President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta of Mali.

Putting people at the centre was one of the ways identified as essential to ending the AIDS epidemic. Where people at higher risk of HIV infection and people living with HIV are empowered to realize their human rights, uptake of HIV services has increased.

“I believe the AIDS epidemic can be ended within the next 15 years,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Now, more than ever, we need means of implementation that are smart, efficient, sustainable and, most importantly, people-centred.”

Without inclusion and equity, key populations and young people will continue to be left behind. The meeting heard from Elijah Zacchary, a 12-year-old Kenyan boy living with HIV, who spoke of his hopes for the future. “Presidents, thank you for making the promise to end AIDS by 2030, but we must make sure that all children have access to treatment,” said Elijah. “My dream is that by the time I am 27 years old there shall be no more stigma and I am still able to take my medication every day.”

The leaders called for greater engagement of communities and innovative, community-led approaches to the delivery of health services. Innovation in community delivery is breaking the logjam in the capacity of health services to deliver life-saving prevention and treatment services and needs to be adequately funded and supported.

“To end AIDS in Lesotho, we need to integrate HIV into primary health care, adequately resource our best foot soldiers—the village health workers—mobilize communities through innovative approaches advocated by our Majesty the King and better coordinate support from our partners,” said Pakalitha Mosisili, Prime Minister of Lesotho.

Big challenges remain to end the epidemic. Of the 36.9 million people living with HIV globally 17.1 million do not know they have the virus and need to be reached with HIV testing services, and around 22 million do not have access to HIV treatment, including 1.8 million children.

“We in the Caribbean believe that we can be the first region in the world to end AIDS. Going forward with this aspirational goal requires increased investment, which is part of the global solidarity that we are here for today,” said Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

At current levels, there is an annual gap of US$ 12 billion globally between the resources available and the resources needed to reach the UNAIDS 2020 Fast-Track Targets and end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. 

Earlier in the day, President Barack Obama spoke at the Sustainable Development Summit and announced that the United States of America had set new targets to reach more people with life-saving HIV prevention and treatment services, with a particular focus on young women and adolescent girls.

Heather Higginbottom, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources of the United States, said, “We stand together to celebrate that progress, to demonstrate our collective resolve, and to meet the challenge before us in the new global goals: to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.”

Over the next five years the AIDS response requires front-loading investments and increasing the diversity of investment, innovative delivery mechanisms and partnerships to ensure that no one is left behind, especially adolescents, young people and key populations. Ensuring commodity security to sustain the AIDS response, focusing on locations, populations and programmes that deliver the greatest impact and addressing discrimination and gender inequality and committing to people-centred approaches grounded in human rights will reap huge benefits by 2030: 21 million AIDS-related deaths averted; 28 million new HIV infections averted; and 5.9 million new infections among children averted.

“There is a generation in jeopardy. Young people are falling through the cracks in the AIDS response," said Charlize Theron, Messenger of Peace for the United Nations and founder of the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. “But there is reason to hope, we know what works—empowering young people to take care of their health.”

Karen Dunaway, a young woman from Honduras living with HIV, said, “We adolescents and young people should have the space to participate meaningfully in decision-making at all levels, including policy-making and implementation. Governments must work with civil society and young people to ensure accountability. Together we must break the prejudice and stigma so that all young people have access to services.”

Better health outcomes will support the entire Sustainable Development Goals framework and not only lead to healthier lives, but also help alleviate poverty, reduce discrimination and improve economic security.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

NEW YORK/GENEVA, 24 September 2015—As world leaders gather in New York to commit to the Sustainable Development Goals, including ambitious public health targets, UNAIDS has called on governments and the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that medicines remain accessible to all.

Dramatic increases in the prices of some medicines are raising concerns about their continued availability to patients as well as about the wider effects on public health.

“As world leaders commit to new public health targets as part of the Sustainable Development Goals, governments and the private sector have a responsibility to ensure that medicines remain accessible to everybody,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “The AIDS response is proof that access to affordable and effective medicines can halt and reverse an epidemic.” 

Generic competition in the pharmaceutical industry, fostered by the use of intellectual property flexibilities, has helped make prices for life-saving medicines much more affordable over the past 15 years and allowed the massive scale-up of HIV treatment programmes. More than 15 million people are today accessing life-saving antiretroviral medicines, compared with fewer than 700 000 people in 2000.

UNAIDS has set a new 90–90–90 treatment target for 2020 with the aim of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Countries around the world are adopting the 90–90–90 treatment target, whereby 90% of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of people who know their HIV status are accessing treatment and 90% of people on treatment have suppressed viral loads.

“Everyone has the right to health, no matter where they are born or who they are,” added Mr Sidibé. 

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.