Guide to an effective human rights response to the HIV epidemic

Guideline 6 (revised): States should enact legislation
to provide for the regulation of HIVrelated
goods, services and information in order
to ensure widespread availability of quality prevention
measures and services, adequate HIV
prevention and care information, and safe and
effective medication at an affordable price.
States should ensure that all persons have access
to quality goods on a sustained and equal basis.
States should provide services and information
rights principles into codes of conduct, which
should be accompanied by mechanisms to implement
and enforce those codes.
Guideline 11: States should ensure monitoring
and enforcement mechanisms to guarantee
and protect HIV-related human rights.
Guideline 12: States should share experiences
concerning HIV-related human rights issues at
an international level and through UN agencies
such as UNAIDS.
for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support,
Millennium Development Goals
including antiretroviral and other safe and effective
medicines, diagnostics and related technologies
for the treatment of HIV and related
opportunistic infections.
Guideline 7: States should implement legal
support services to educate people who are
affected by the HIV epidemic about their rights.
States should also develop expertise on HIVrelated
legal issues and use means other than
courts, such as human rights commissions, to
protect the rights of people who are affected
The UN adopted the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) in 2000. The MDGs are important, measurable
and time-bound developmental targets covering
issues such as maternal and child mortality, access to
primary education and safe living environments.
There are eight goals in total. Goal Six urges states
to halt and reverse the spread of HIV and AIDS by
2015. 16
by the epidemic.
Guideline 8: States, together with communities,
should promote an enabling and prejudice-free
Declaration of Commitment on HIV and AIDS
environment for women, children and other
vulnerable groups.
Guideline 9: States should promote the distribution
of creative education, training and media
programmes that are designed to change discriminatory
attitudes associated with HIV and
AIDS to reflect greater understanding and acceptance.
Guideline 10: States should translate human
In 2001, the UN General Assembly Special Session
(UNGASS) adopted the Declaration of Commitment
on HIV/AIDS, which provides for clear time-bound
targets. The Declaration contains a checklist with
questions that concern national compliance with
the MDGs. For instance, countries are to adopt laws
and regulations that protect people living with HIV
and other vulnerable groups against discrimination.
16 For more information, refer to http://www.undp.org/mdg/basics.shtml.
30 | Guide to an effective human rights response to the HIV epidemic