HRC58 - NB8 statement - Panel discussion on HIV response and leaving no one behind
Human Rights Council – 58th Session
Panel discussion on the realisation of human rights in sustaining and increasing the gains made in the HIV response and leaving no one behind
Statement by Finland on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries
6 March 2025
President,
I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries.
We stand at a critical juncture in the efforts towards ending AIDS. The global AIDS response has made tremendous progress, but the work is not finished. [As highlighted in the recent World AIDS Day Report,] human rights must remain at the heart of our approach. Only by addressing stigma, discrimination, and violence can we ensure equal access to HIV services and end AIDS as a public health threat.
Yet, we face continued pushback—anti-rights, anti-gender, and anti-democracy policies are intensifying inequalities and jeopardising our shared goal of ending AIDS by 2030. We reaffirm our commitment to a human rights-based HIV response—one that upholds sexual and reproductive health and rights, including comprehensive sexuality education and universal access to HIV combination prevention, treatment, and care, gender equality, and dignity of all.
Key populations continue to face stigma, criminalisation, and exclusion across all regions. Ending AIDS by 2030 is impossible unless we decriminalise, destigmatise, and fully include those most affected and at-risk.
We also acknowledge the changing funding landscape for the global AIDS response and the continued extensive global needs. To sustain the global response, we must do more with less, strengthen cooperation, and prioritise effectively. We recognise UNAIDS’ central role in this regard.
We simply cannot afford to go backwards.
I thank you.
