United Nations — Remarks by Winnie Byanyima, Government Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), at a Excessive-level Assembly within the Normal Meeting Corridor, 22 June 2026
I’m honoured to deal with this Excessive-Degree Assembly. I thank very a lot the President of the Normal Meeting for her management, our Co-Facilitators, and all of the Member States for the extraordinary effort that introduced us right here now.
I additionally pay particular tribute to the communities which have carried the AIDS response on their shoulders for 4 a long time. These are folks dwelling with HIV; girls and women; homosexual males and different males who’ve intercourse with males; transgender folks; individuals who inject medication; intercourse staff. I additionally salute well being staff; scientists; philanthropists; and improvement companions. Thousands and thousands are alive due to your braveness and good contributions.
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Twenty-five years in the past, world leaders gathered on this corridor for the first-ever United Nations Normal Meeting Particular Session on a well being disaster.
On the top of the pandemic, they made a promise: that AIDS could be stopped; that therapy and prevention could be accessible to all folks in all international locations; that funding could be mobilized to allow each nation to battle the illness; that communities would lead; and that the United Nations would coordinate a worldwide, multisectoral response unseen earlier than.
As AIDS deaths peaked, my buddy Diana, in my nation Uganda, widowed by the virus, known as me in tears. She mentioned “I’m unwell. I could die. Please maintain my three youngsters.” I saved my promise to her that day. At present these youngsters are thriving adults — a lawyer, an accountant, an administrator.
Winnie Byanyima, Government Director of UNAIDS
Thousands and thousands saved that promise. Communities, governments, scientists, well being staff and corporations saved the promise. That’s the world AIDS response. And what progress we’ve got made. Of 40 million folks dwelling with HIV as we speak, 32.1 million at the moment are on therapy, dwelling lengthy and wholesome lives.
However allow us to not confuse progress with success. Almost 9 million individuals are nonetheless not on therapy, and final 12 months there have been 1.2 million individuals who have been newly contaminated. That is our final Excessive-Degree Assembly earlier than the 2030 promise to finish AIDS as a public well being risk. We’re simply 4 years away. And the chance is extraordinary. Breathtaking science like long-acting medicines can now shield folks from HIV with simply two injections a 12 months — it’s not a vaccine, however it’s the closest we’ve got come. Analysis might but give us a treatment. Ending AIDS is feasible.
But we meet at a dangerous second.
Multilateralism is at its weakest in a technology, and two threats are poised to reverse all our features: the collapse in improvement financing, and the rollback of human rights, gender equality and civic house.
In line with the OECD, improvement finance fell 23% in 2025 — the sharpest drop on file — HIV programmes in high-burden, low-income international locations have been hit laborious. Our new UNAIDS information launched final week present fragility. HIV testing has fallen 22% in high-burden settings, that means folks have no idea their standing and the virus continues to unfold. Funding for condoms has been lower by greater than 90% in some locations. Prevention is being dismantled on the very second we must be scaling improvements like new long-acting medicines.
Proof additionally reveals that international locations that shield rights obtain stronger HIV outcomes. But we’re seeing a harmful rollback of the rights of these at highest threat — girls and women, homosexual males, trans folks, individuals who inject medication, intercourse staff. For the primary time since UNAIDS started monitoring, criminalisation is rising: over the previous 10 to fifteen years the pattern has been of decriminalization. Final 12 months two extra international locations criminalised same-sex relationships, and one elevated penalties in 2026. These legal guidelines undermine providers and permit HIV to unfold. The shrinking of civic house is disabling community-led organizations which have confirmed the best in delivering providers to folks dwelling with and affected by HIV. One examine throughout 47 international locations discovered neighborhood providers to these most in want lower by 50 to 85%.
And but Excellencies we are able to nonetheless seize the chance to cease this pandemic.
I stand right here on behalf of UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. We have been created in a second of disaster — it’s in our DNA to function in disaster.
And here’s what offers me hope.
52 international locations have dedicated to rising home financing because the fast cuts. Regional initiatives — the Accra Reset led by President Mahama of Ghana, the African Union Roadmap, the Alliance for the Elimination of HIV within the Americas — are constructing well being sovereignty. Financing agencies–the World Fund, known as for on this corridor by Kofi Annan; the US bilateral programme–have secured new funding even in instances of problem. And we name for extra.
Brazil’s G20 initiative is advancing regional manufacturing of medicines. And all over the place, communities refuse to surrender and die –they proceed to ship providers and defend each other below assault.
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Governments of the world: are we going to maintain the promise?
5 UN resolutions prior to now have pushed progress as much as right here. The worldwide AIDS response is probably the best, most profitable story of multilateralism in forty years. Absolutely we are able to discover a method to construct on that success.
This Political Declaration is our probability to construct on 25 years of dedication and level the way in which to 2030, and really present multilateralism can ship. We can’t fail, as a result of we all know what we should do:
- · Decide to multilateralism, and to the shared targets earlier than you.· Maintain worldwide financing, as international locations mobilise their very own sources.· Defend the rights of individuals dwelling with HIV to succeed in lifesaving providers.· Free the house, and let communities lead for his or her folks· Spur the science, in order that improvements attain everybody in want as quick as potential
If we do these items, we are able to finish AIDS.
Excellencies, once we stroll out of this corridor, allow us to look 40 million folks dwelling with HIV world wide within the eye and say: we saved our promise.
IPS UN Bureau
