On Human Rights Day, UNAIDS stands up for the protection and promotion of human rights for everyone
09 December 201609 December 2016
The communities most affected by HIV must be meaningfully involved in the AIDS response if we
The communities most affected by HIV must be meaningfully involved in the AIDS response if we are to overcome the stigma, discrimination and denial of human rights that continue to put people at risk of HIV and deny them access to HIV prevention and treatment services.
GENEVA, 10 December 2016—The world will never achieve the end of AIDS without bold actions to advance the human rights of the people left furthest behind. Stigma and discrimination based on health status, gender, sexual orientation, drug dependency, disability and migrant and refugee status, among others, prevent people from accessing life-saving HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services. Across the world, inequalities and injustice threaten sustainable development and perpetuate social exclusion.
“The AIDS response has demonstrated the importance of and tangible results from overcoming the human rights violations that are fuelling the epidemic,” UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé said. “The voice and leadership of people living with HIV and key populations remain essential for ending the AIDS epidemic. UNAIDS stands up for their rights and for the meaningful participation of affected communities.”
On Human Rights Day, UNAIDS calls for the world to stand up for the rights of the most discriminated against and marginalized and for an end to stigma, discrimination and human rights violations against everyone.
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.
