UN updates international guidelines on HIV/AIDS and human rights

Reflecting significant political and legal developments relating to HIV/AIDS, the United Nations today issued updated guidelines that call for government action on the human rights aspects of the pandemic.

The key change pertains to a directive on access to prevention, treatment, care and support, stressing that such access is "fundamental to the realization of the right to health. The guidelines also note that international cooperation is vital in putting care, treatment and support within reach of all those in need.

The revised text is part of 12 International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights published in 1998 by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

"With the advent of life-prolonging HIV treatment, and price barriers falling, access to treatment is now at the heart of realizing the human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS," said UNAIDS Executive Director Dr. Peter Piot. "Today's unequal and limited access to treatment is unacceptable, with less than 5 per cent of people in the developing world who need HIV medicines having access to them."

The revision would "help governments and civil society focus on the need to scale up access to prevention and treatment," Dr. Piot added.

The revised guideline breaks new ground by calling for specific actions on the part of governments, including by asking them to establish concrete national plans with resources and timelines that progressively lead to equal and universal access to HIV/AIDS-related treatment, care and support. Countries are also called on to establish mechanisms that would enable people living with HIV/AIDS to challenge inequalities and discrimination in accessing HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support. In addition, States are encouraged to contribute to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Stressing the importance of funding for AIDS treatment, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson noted that under international human rights law, States are obliged to take concrete steps to advance the right to the highest attainable standard of health. "This commitment should be matched by resources, including from donors and the international community," she said.