Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction
1he Iuteruatiouai uioeiiues ou HI1ID: auo Humau Pihts
arose because ot various calls tor their development in light ot
the need tor guidance tor Governments and others on hov to
best promote, protect and tultl human rights in the context ot
the HIV epidemic. During the trst International Consultation
on AIDS and Human Pights, organized by the Lnited Nations
Centre tor Human Pights, in cooperation vith the World
Health Organization, in Geneva, trom 26 to 28 uly 1989,
participants discussed the possible elaboration ot guidelines to
assist policymakers and others in complying vith international
human rights standards regarding lav, administrative practice
and policy.
2
Several years later, in his report to the Commission
at its ttty-trst session (LCN.4199343, para.133,, the Lnited
Nations Secretary-General stated that the development ot
such guidelines or principles could provide an international
tramevork tor discussion ot human rights considerations
at the national, regional and international levels in order to
arrive at a more comprehensive understanding ot the complex
relationship betveen the public health rationale and the human
rights rationale ot HIVAIDS. In particular, Governments
could benett trom guidelines that outline clearly hov human
rights standards apply in the area ot HIVAIDS and indicate
concrete and specitc measures, both in terms ot legislation and
practice, that should be undertaken.
1he Commission on Human Pights at its ttty-second session
in its resolution 199643 ot 19 April 1996 requested that the
Lnited Nations High Commissioner tor Human Pights, inter
2
Feporr ol an nrernarional Consulrarion on ADS anc Human Fihrs, Geneva, 2c ro 28 July
18 (HF/FB/0/2).
UNAID5 OHCHR
10
alia, continue the ettorts, in cooperation vith LNAIDS and
non-governmental organizations, as vell as groups ot people
living vith HIVAIDS, tovards the elaboration ot guidelines
on promoting and protecting respect tor human rights in the
context ot HIVAIDS. At the same time, the Commission
requested that the Secretary-General ot the Lnited Nations
prepare tor the consideration ot the Commission at its ttty-
third session a report on the above-mentioned guidelines,
including the outcome ot the second expert consultation
on human rights and HIVAIDS, and on their international
dissemination.
In response to the above requests, the Lnited Nations Centre
tor Human Pights and the oint Lnited Nations Programme
on HIVAIDS (LNAIDS, convened the Second International
Consultation on HIVAIDS and Human Pights in Geneva,
trom 23 to 23 September 1996. 1his Consultation brought
together thirty-tve experts in the teld ot HIVAIDS and
human rights, comprising Government ottcials and statt ot
national AIDS programmes, people living vith HIV, human
rights activists, academics, representatives ot regional and
national netvorks on ethics, lav, human rights and HIV, and
representatives ot Lnited Nations bodies and agencies, non-
governmental organizations and AIDS service organizations
(ASOs,. Participants at the Consultation had betore them
tve background papers that had been commissioned tor the
purpose ot eliciting specitc regional and thematic experiences
and concerns regarding HIV and human rights. Participants
discussed the most important human rights principles and
concerns in the context ot HIV and AIDS, as vell as concrete
measures that States could take to protect HIV-related human
rights. 1he result vas the Iuteruatiouai uioeiiues ou HI1ID:
auo Humau Pihts. 1he tull text, as adopted by the Second
nrernorionol Cuidelines
on HlV/AlDS ond Human Rights
11
International Consultation, is contained in annex I to the
report ot the Secretary-General to the Commission on Human
Pights in document LCN.4199737. 1he Guidelines vere
published in 1998 by OHCHP and LNAIDS.
Signitcant developments have taken place vith regard to
the right to health and access to HIV-related prevention,
treatment, care and support, including advances in the
availability ot diagnostic tests and HIV-related treatments,
including antiretroviral therapies. 1here have been increased
commitments at the international, regional and domestic
levels tovards the tull realization ot all human rights related to
HIV, including improved access to health services tor people
living vith HIV. Key among these are: the Declaration ot
Commitment on HIVAIDS,
3
the Millennium Development
Goals,
4
general comment 14 ot the Committee on Lconomic,
Social and Cultural Pights,
5
and the Commission on Human
Pights resolutions on the right to the highest attainable
standard ot health
6
and access to medication.
7
In light ot advances in HIV-related treatment and antiretroviral
medication, the current global disparity in access to treatment,
as vell as political and legal developments since the elaboration
ot the Guidelines in 1996, the High Commissioner tor Human
Pights and the Lxecutive Director ot LNAIDS decided to
convene a 1hird International Consultation on HIVAIDS
and Human Pights on 23-26 uly 2002 in Geneva in order to
3
Declararion ol Commirmenr on Hv/ADS ('GloLal CrisisGloLal Acrion'), General
AssemLly resolurion S2c/2 ol 27 June 2001.
4
nirec Narions Millennium Declararion, General AssemLly resolurion 55/2 ol 8 SepremLer
2000.
5
General commenr 14 on rhe rihr ro rhe hihesr arrainaLle srancarc ol healrh, acoprec on
11 May 2000 (E/C.12/2000/4).
c
Commission on Human Fihrs resolurion 2002/31 ol 22 April 2002.
7
Commission on Human Fihrs resolurions 2002/33 anc 2002/32 ol 22 April 2002.
UNAID5 OHCHR
12
update Guideline 6. 1his document consolidates the original
Guidelines vith revised Guideline 6, together vith its related
commentary and recommendations tor implementation.
Since their original publication in 1998 and that ot revised
Guideline 6 in 2002, the Iuteruatiouai uioeiiues ou HI1ID:
auo Humau Pihts have provided important guidance to
Governments, international organizations, non-governmental
organizations and civil society groups on the development
and implementation ot ettective national strategies tor
combating HIV and AIDS. 1he Commission on Human
Pights has asked States to take all necessary steps to ensure
the respect, protection and tultlment ot HIV-related human
rights as contained in the Guidelines, and has urged States to
ensure that their lavs, policies and practices comply vith the
Guidelines.
8
1he Secretary-General has submitted reports to
the Commission on steps taken by Governments and Lnited
Nations organs, programmes and specialized agencies to
promote and implement the Guidelines.
9
Global resolve to halt and reverse the epidemic continues to
strengthen. In the 2003 World Summit Outcome,
10
vorld
leaders committed to a massive scaling-up ot HIV prevention,
treatment and care vith the aim ot coming as close as possible
to the goal ot universal access to treatment by 2010 tor all
vho need it. 1he political declaration ot the 2006 High Ievel
Meeting on AIDS attrmed and expanded these commitments.
8
Commission on Human Fihrs resolurions 17/33, 1/4, 2001/51, 2003/47, 2005/84.
Edgar Carrasco
[Accin Ciudadana contra el SIDA (ACCSI,, Caracas|
David
Chipanta [Netvork ot Atrican People living vith HIVAIDS
(NAP,, Iusaka|
Ralph ]urgens
[Canadian HIVAIDS Iegal Netvork, Montreal|
Yuri
Kobyshcha [National Anti-AIDS Committee, Kiev|
]oanne
Mariner [Human Pights Watch, Nev York|
Shaun Mellors
[Global Netvork ot People Iiving vith HIVAIDS (GNP,,
Amsterdam|
Galina Musat
[Asociatia Pomana Anti-SIDA (APAS,, Bucharest|
Sylvia
Panebianco [Consejo Nacional de Prevencin y Control del
nrernorionol Cuidelines
on HlV/AlDS ond Human Rights
113
SIDA (CONASIDA,, Mexico City|
Donna
Sullivan [lranois-Xavier Bagnoud Center tor Health
and Human Pights, BostonNev York|
El Hadj (As) Sy
[AlPICASO, Dakar|
Lesley Miller
[Lnited Nations Children`s lund (LNICLl,, Geneva|
David
Patterson [Lnited Nations Development Programme (LNDP,,
Nev York|
Richard
Burzynski [International Council ot AIDS Service Organization,
1oronto|
Charles
Gilks [World Health Organization, Geneva|
Sona Gruskin
[lranois-Xavier Bagnoud Center tor Health and Human
Pights, Harvard School tor Public Health, Boston|
Mark
Heyvood [1reatment Action Campaign (1AC,, Centre
tor Applied Iegal Studies, Lniversity ot the Witvatersrand,
Witvatersrand|
Ieli
Morka [Social and Lconomic Pights Action Centre, Iagos|
Bretton \ong
[Asia Pacitc Netvork ot People Iiving vith HIVAIDS
(APN,, Singapore|
Frocucec wirh environmenrlriencly marerials
The llce ol rhe Hih Commissioner lor Human Fihrs (HCHF), a ceparrmenr ol rhe nirec Narions Secrerariar,
is uicec in irs work Ly rhe mancare provicec Ly rhe General AssemLly in resolurion 48/141, rhe Charrer ol rhe
nirec Narions, rhe niversal Declararion ol Human Fihrs anc suLsequenr human rihrs insrrumenrs, rhe 13
vienna Declararion anc Froramme ol Acrion, anc rhe 2005 Worlc Summir urcome Documenr. perarionally,
HCHF works wirh overnmenrs, leislarures, courrs, narional insrirurions, civil sociery, reional anc inrernarional
oranizarions, anc rhe nirec Narions sysrem ro cevelop anc srrenrhen capaciry, parricularly ar rhe narional
level, lor rhe prorecrion ol human rihrs in accorcance wirh inrernarional norms. nsrirurionally, HCHF is
commirrec ro srrenrhenin rhe nirec Narions human rihrs proramme anc ro provicin ir wirh rhe hihesr
qualiry supporr. HCHF is commirrec ro workin closely wirh irs nirec Narions parrners ro ensure rhar human
rihrs lorm rhe Lecrock ol rhe work ol rhe nirec Narions.
The Joinr nirec Narions Froramme on Hv/ADS (NADS) Lrins roerher ren N aencies in a common
ellorr ro lhr rhe epicemic: rhe llce ol rhe nirec Narions Hih Commissioner lor Feluees (NHCF), rhe
nirec Narions Chilcren's Func (NCEF), rhe Worlc Fooc Froramme (WFF), rhe nirec Narions Developmenr
Froramme (NDF), rhe nirec Narions Fopularion Func (NFFA), rhe nirec Narions llce on Drus anc
Crime (NDC), rhe nrernarional LaLour ranizarion (L), rhe nirec Narions Ecucarional, Scienrilc anc
Culrural ranizarion (NESC), rhe Worlc Healrh ranizarion (WH), anc rhe Worlc Bank.
NADS, as a cosponsorec proramme, unires rhe responses ro rhe epicemic ol irs ren cosponsorin
oranizarions anc supplemenrs rhese ellorrs wirh special iniriarives. rs purpose is ro leac anc assisr an
expansion ol rhe inrernarional response ro Hv/ADS on all lronrs. NADS works wirh a Lroac rane ol
parrners overnmenral anc nonovernmenral, Lusiness, scienrilc anc lay ro share knowlece, skills anc
Lesr pracrices across Louncaries.
UNAIDS
20 AVENUE APPIA
CH-1211 GENEVA 27
SWITZERLAND
Tel: (+41) 22 791 36 66
Fax: (+41) 22 791 41 87
e-mail: bestpractice@unaids.org
www.unaids.org
NlTED NATlCNS
OHCHR
PALAIS DES NATIONS
CH-1211 GENEVA 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: (+41) 22 917 9000
Fax: (+41) 22 917 9008
publications@ohchr.org
www.ohchr.org