HIV/AIDS

As highlighted in UNDP’s Corporate Strategy on HIV/AIDS (download pdf), the HIV epidemic has swiftly escalated from a public health challenge into an unparalleled development crisis. AIDS has reversed valuable development gains, and resulted in illness and death among the most productive age group of societies. The long-term human development impact is felt in all sectors of public and private life.

HIV and AIDS affect people in their most productive years, and are uniquely devastating, increasing poverty and reversing human development achievements. In order to support countries to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS on Human Development, UNDP promotes multi-sector responses that mainstream HIV and AIDS in national development and recovery plans, sector programmes and decentralized plans. As a trusted development partner, and co-sponsor of UNAIDS, it helps countries put HIV and AIDS at the centre of national development and poverty reduction strategies; build national capacity to mobilize all levels of government and civil society for a coordinated and effective response to the epidemic; and protect the rights of people living with AIDS, women, and vulnerable populations. Because HIV and AIDS is a world-wide problem, UNDP supports these national efforts by offering knowledge, resources and best practices from around the world.

More specifically, the BDP/HIV/AIDS Liaison Unit in Geneva promotes the respect and protection of human right standards and norms in the context of HIV. It provides policy guidance and technical support to country law reform processes on HIV and human rights related issues. The HIV/AIDS Liaison also works to scale up HIV services in crisis settings (conflict/natural disasters) coordinating closely with the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) to bridge potential programming and funding gaps between immediate relief and development assistance frameworks. This is meant to guarantee continuum of HIV-related prevention and care services, to ensure that HIV is systematically mainstreamed into the overall humanitarian response with a special focus on (early) recovery instruments, mechanisms and programming.

The unit also liaises with Geneva-based partner organizations on HIV/AIDS and Malaria issues, including with UNAIDS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM).

Finally, the Geneva-based HIV/AIDS Liaison Unit also provides capacity building, policy and technical support to UNDP programmes worldwide and works to strengthen the capacity of government and civil society in addressing human rights related issues of people living with HIV, including most at-risk populations.

For more information, please see UNDP’s Corporate Page on HIV/AIDS.

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