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.
“We welcome the adoption of the new Political Declaration, which serves as a road map to guide the HIV response over the next five years, and which received strong support from governments across our region. This is undoubtedly an important signal that countries remain committed to the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030,” said Luisa Cabal, UNAIDS Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “We recognize the work of all actors in the HIV response—from communities to governments—in helping us reach this renewed commitment.”
The meeting brought together governments, multilateral organizations, civil society, and communities, with strong participation from representatives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Their engagement reflected the region’s continued commitment to the HIV response and its determination to keep HIV high on national and regional health and development agendas.
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.
The Political Declaration, which will guide the global HIV response for the period 2026–2031, 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.
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.
“The adoption of this Political Declaration sends a strong message that the world remains committed 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 significant progress, those gains remain fragile in the face of financial challenges, persistent inequalities, stigma, discrimination and barriers to access,” said Leslie Wade, Permanent Observer of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to the United Nations. “CARICOM continues to call for renewed global solidarity, sustainable financing and equitable access to HIV prevention, treatment and 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.”
“Brazil 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,” said Mariângela Simão, Secretary of Health and Environmental Surveillance at Brazil’s Ministry of Health. “In 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.”
“Communities 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’s lives,” said Mariana Iacono, representative of ICW Latina. “Community 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.”
The interventions by governments, regional organizations and community representatives underscored that achieving the 2030 targets will require strengthening multilateralism, reinforce national responses and ensure the meaningful participation of communities. They also emphasized that the commitments made in New York must be translated into concrete action that responds to people’s needs and helps reduce the inequalities that continue to hinder progress.
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. “The 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,” she said.