EU Statement – UN General Assembly: 2026 High-level meeting on HIV/AIDS

Excellencies, distinguished colleagues,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU and its 27 Member States.

We welcome this High-Level Meeting, taking place at a particularly critical moment. The progress achieved over the past decades has transformed countless lives, but our work is far from finished.

The EU and its Member States have long been committed to tackling HIV/AIDS. That commitment has been reflected in this forum since the 2001 Declaration and remains as strong today as it was then.

While significant progress has been made, the window to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3.3, by 2030 is closing rapidly. At the same time, the global HIV targets for 2025 have not yet been met.

In line with the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs, as well as the Global AIDS Strategy 2026–2031, the EU and its Member States believe several priorities are essential to accelerate progress.

First, we must reaffirm our shared commitment to multilateralism and to our collective goal of ending HIV and AIDS by 2030. This requires accelerated, multisectoral and rights-based action, especially for key populations, adolescent girls and young women, and affected communities, while keeping HIV/AIDS high on global health, development, human rights and humanitarian agendas.

Second, we must also strengthen synergies with efforts addressing tuberculosis, hepatitis, HPV and other co-infections, particularly sexually transmitted infections, by integrating prevention and care to reduce broader health burdens, including through stronger links with mental health care. 

Third, sustained and innovative action at all levels requires genuine collaboration and partnerships among governments, civil society organisations, key populations and broader communities, young people, the scientific community, academic and research institutions, the private sector and international organisations.

Fourth, we must accelerate prevention, testing and treatment while advancing innovation and sustainable financing. Equitable, human rights-based access to PREP (reads prep), long-acting options and combination prevention tailored to local needs must be expanded. We should further strengthen the integration of HIV services with sexual and reproductive health and rights, in line with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of their review conferences, as well as with maternal health and tuberculosis programmes. Gaps in testing, retention in care and cross-border continuity of services, including in humanitarian settings, must be addressed

Fifth, the transition towards health sovereignty, with country ownership at its core, is essential to achieving sustainable financing and lasting health outcomes in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In line with the Sevilla Commitment, sustainable HIV responses require stronger domestic financing, complemented by predictable international cooperation, partnerships and solidarity.

The EU remains a steadfast supporter of the global HIV response through financing and support for sustainable and resilient health systems, including through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNAIDS and the WHO. As a recent example, we have pledged more than EUR 3 billion to the Global Fund’s 8th replenishment.

Sixth, at the same time, we reiterate that addressing HIV/AIDS requires respect for and implementation of the existing international regulatory framework. This includes full respect for human rights, intellectual property rules, voluntary technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, and the promotion of price transparency, research and innovation through voluntary cooperation and constructive partnerships – mindful of the need for an efficient and effective response.

Finally, we must tackle inequalities, eliminate stigma and discrimination, and strengthen community-led responses. Community actors must be meaningfully involved in national strategies and service delivery. Sustainable funding for community-led services and support for low-threshold, people-centred models of care are essential. We must also work to remove discriminatory laws, policies and practices that create barriers to services, combat stigma through education and public awareness, and ensure that no one is left behind. Because ending HIV/AIDS is not only a public health objective, it is a promise to our people that they will be able to live healthy lives, free from fear, stigma and discrimination.

Excellencies,

The window to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals is narrowing. The 2026 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS must serve as a pathway to accelerated and coordinated action, grounded in science, solidarity, accountability and human rights. We thank Georgia and Botswana for having taking the lead in a challenging context.

The commitments we make today will be measured not by our words, but by the difference they make in people's lives. Because behind every target lies a human story, and behind every commitment a responsibility to act.

Thank you.