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UNAIDS welcomes the successful conclusion of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV\/AIDS and the adoption of a new Political Declaration to strengthen the global HIV response and accelerate progress towards the 2030 targets to end AIDS as a public health threat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe welcome the adoption of the new Political Declaration, which serves as a road map to guide the HIV response over the next five\u00a0years,\u00a0and\u00a0which received\u00a0strong support\u00a0from governments across our region. This is undoubtedly an important signal that countries\u00a0remain\u00a0committed to the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030,\u201d said Luisa Cabal, UNAIDS Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. \u201cWe recognize the work of all actors in the HIV response\u2014from communities to governments\u2014in helping us reach this renewed commitment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The meeting brought together governments, multilateral organizations, civil\u00a0society,\u00a0and communities, with strong participation from representatives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Their engagement reflected the region\u2019s continued commitment to the HIV response and its determination to keep HIV high on national and regional health and development agendas.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The new Political Declaration comes at a critical moment for the HIV response, marked by declining international funding, persistent inequalities in access to health services, and the impact of stigma and discrimination on the populations most affected by HIV.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Political Declaration, which will guide the global HIV response for the period 2026\u20132031, sets out new targets and commitments to expand equitable access to HIV testing, treatment and prevention; address funding gaps; protect human rights and promote gender equality; expand access to HIV medicines and related technologies; and strengthen the role of communities and civil society in the AIDS response.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the meeting, representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean agreed that the progress achieved in the HIV response must be protected and accelerated in the face of financial challenges, persistent inequalities and barriers that continue to limit access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care services.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe adoption of this Political Declaration sends a strong message that the world\u00a0remains\u00a0committed to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, and that the tools and knowledge needed to achieve this goal are within our reach. While the Caribbean has made\u00a0significant progress, those gains\u00a0remain\u00a0fragile in the face of financial challenges, persistent inequalities, stigma,\u00a0discrimination\u00a0and barriers to access,\u201d said Leslie Wade, Permanent Observer of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to the United Nations. \u201cCARICOM continues to call for renewed global solidarity, sustainable financing and\u00a0equitable\u00a0access to HIV prevention,\u00a0treatment\u00a0and innovation. What is needed now is renewed political leadership and collective action to turn commitments into action and ensure that no one is left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBrazil expresses its deep appreciation for the strong support shown for this Political Declaration on HIV, which reflects our shared recognition of the progress achieved to date while acknowledging that important challenges remain,\u201d said Mari\u00e2ngela Sim\u00e3o, Secretary of Health and Environmental Surveillance at Brazil\u2019s Ministry of Health. \u201cIn this regard, we also wish to highlight the valuable role of UNAIDS in supporting countries in the implementation and monitoring of these commitments, helping to ensure that our collective efforts translate into meaningful and sustained impact.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCommunities have been at the heart of the HIV response and must continue to support the implementation of the commitments made. Our role has been essential in ensuring that these agreements translate into tangible improvements in people\u2019s lives,\u201d said Mariana Iacono, representative of ICW Latina.\u00a0\u201cCommunity experience has helped bring public policies closer to people living with HIV, key populations and all those who continue to face structural barriers to fully exercising their human rights. We stand ready to work alongside governments to turn the 2030 targets into reality and end AIDS as a public health threat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The interventions by governments, regional organizations and community representatives underscored that achieving the 2030 targets will require strengthening multilateralism,\u00a0reinforce\u00a0national\u00a0responses\u00a0and\u00a0ensure\u00a0the meaningful participation of communities. They also emphasized that the commitments made in New York must be translated into concrete action that responds to people\u2019s needs and helps reduce the inequalities that continue to hinder progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the close of the meeting, Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, said that governments around the world, with the support of communities, had reaffirmed that multilateralism remains alive and that international cooperation continues to be an essential tool for accelerating progress towards 2030. \u201cThe fact that so many Member States voted in support of this Political Declaration at this moment is recognition that our progress remains worth protecting and that there is a willingness to sustain the actions needed to achieve the 2030 goal,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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