AVAC: State of negotiations ahead of UN High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS

AVAC analysis

Negotiations on the political declaration have intensified this week, as the June 22-23 UN High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS inches closer. With a third-round draft due June 15, many advocates and delegations question whether consensus can be secured around diluted provisions on key populations, discriminatory laws, community leadership, human rights, and access to medicines. These differing positions by state and non-state actors could ultimately result in a vote on the declaration rather than adopting it by consensus. Advocates report that the text would replace commitments to repeal discriminatory laws with softer language encouraging countries to “review and change as appropriate”, while references to community-led responses and key populations have been weakened or removed in multiple sections. Financing is also a major point of contention, with advocates challenging the proposed $20.6 billion annual HIV financing target and the absence of language addressing official development assistance (ODA) despite calls from many countries.

IMPLICATIONS: The negotiations come as the recent PEPFAR data and new analyses from the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) indicate continuing declines in HIV prevention implementation and service delivery. Advocates warn that a watered-down declaration could legitimize national government backsliding on human rights, community leadership, access to medicines and financing at the moment when concrete political commitments on the key provisions are most needed to make progress on international goals against the HIV epidemic. UN delegations and civil society are further debating whether no commitments on the current iteration of the declaration may be more advantageous and acceptable than a version that undermines human rights. In the final two weeks of negotiations, advocates are urgently encouraging partners to push their governments to have stronger human rights and key population language in the declaration.

Further coverage:

• Health Policy Watch: Plunging HIV budgets cast dark shadow over UN High-Level Meeting
• Devex: Can the new UN political declaration get the HIV response back on track?
• Devdiscourse: HIV gains are at risk as countries face new pressure to fund response
• Global Dispatch: Scientific breakthroughs and political retreat set the stage for a crucial global moment in the fight against HIV/AIDS

AVAC publishes a weekly Global Health Watch, a curated digest of key developments in global health. Access this week’s issue (#72, 12 June) here.