Guiding principles of UNAIDS

· Long-term response: HIV/AIDS requires a long-term sustainable response, including coping capacity on the part of individuals and communities. UNAIDS helps to strengthen national capacity for action ranging from prevention and care to impact alleviation.

· Technical soundness: Action in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic must be not only expanded but also improved in quality through the identification and use of technically sound policies, strategies, tools and approaches.

· Focus on vulnerability: An effective response requires societal and structural change to reduce the vulnerability of women, young people, migrants, drug users, sexual and ethnic minorities and other population groups.

· Support, not coercion: A supportive social, political and legal environment helps individuals exercise their responsibilities to protect themselves and others from HIV infection.

· Human rights: People are entitled to enjoy all human rights without discrimination, including discrimination based on HIV infection status. These include the right to health, travel and privacy, the right to freedom from sexual violence and coercion, and the right to the information and means to prevent infection.

· Participation and partnership: A multisectoral response to HIV/AIDS can best be achieved through partnership.

· National autonomy: It is a national responsibility to design, implement and coordinate the response to HIV/AIDS at the country level. The role of external partners, including UNAIDS, is to support and build on national action.

· Complementarity: Rather than undertaking itself what can be or is already being done by others, UNAIDS attempts to facilitate these efforts and to fill gaps in action and research.