Societal enablers
Precedents
2021 Global AIDS Strategy 2021-2026
“ 60% of the programmes supporting the achievement of societal enablers, including programmes to reduce/eliminate HIV-related stigma and discrimination, advocacy to promote enabling legal environments, programmes for legal literacy and linkages to legal support, and reduction/elimination of gender-based violence, to be delivered by community-led organizations.” (annex 2, 2025 targets)
“With its new targets for societal enablers, the Strategy demands that the same commitment and attention to technical detail that has characterized the HIV response’s programmatic efforts be applied to the urgent business of addressing the social and structural factors that slow progress against AIDS. The Strategy prioritizes lessons from recent successes and applies them more broadly, especially in countries where inequalities are enabled by punitive legal and policy frameworks. Communities of people living with, affected by, or most at risk of HIV must be supported and effectively resourced to galvanize actions that can reduce inequalities in the response and to ensure that responses meet the needs of all people.” (paragraph 131)
2021 HRC resolution on human rights in the context of HIV and AIDS
“Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a report, in consultation with Governments, civil society, community-led organizations and other stakeholders, describing the action being taken and recommending action to be intensified or initiated to meet the innovative targets on societal enablers, as recognized in the Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS adopted by the General Assembly in 2021, and to address the remaining gaps, and to present the report to the Human Rights Council at its fiftieth session.” (paragraph 31)
2019 Political declaration of the HLM on UHC
“Implement high-impact policies to protect people’s health and comprehensively address social, economic and environmental and other determinants of health by working across all sectors through a whole-of-government and health-in-all-policies approach.” (paragraph 26)
“Build effective, accountable, transparent and inclusive institutions at all levels to end corruption and ensure social justice, the rule of law, good governance and health for all.” (paragraph 56)
2018 Political declaration of the third HLM on NCDs
“Reaffirm the primary role and responsibility of governments at all levels in responding to the challenge of non-communicable diseases by developing adequate national multisectoral responses for their prevention and control, and promoting and protecting the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, and underscore the importance of pursuing whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, as well as health-in-all-policies approaches, equity-based approaches and life-course approaches.” (paragraph 15)
2016 Outcome Document of the Session on the World Drug Problem
“Intensify, as appropriate, the meaningful participation of and support and training for civil society organizations and entities involved in drug-related health and social treatment services, in accordance with national legislation and in the framework of integrated and coordinated national drug policies, and encourage efforts by civil society and the private sector to develop support networks for prevention and treatment, care, recovery, rehabilitation and social reintegration in a balanced and inclusive manner.” (paragraph 1(q))
2016 Resolution on Women, the Girl Child and HIV and AIDS
“Calls upon all governments to enact and intensify the implementation of laws, policies and strategies to eliminate all forms of gender-based violence and discrimination against women and girls in the public and private spheres and harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage, female genital mutilation and trafficking in persons, and ensure the full engagement of men and boys in order to reduce the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV.” (paragraph 3)
2016 HRC Resolution on civil society space
“Urges States to create and maintain, in law and in practice, a safe and enabling environment in which civil society can operate free from hindrance and insecurity.” (paragraph 4)
2016 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS
“Call for increased and sustained investment in the advocacy and leadership role, involvement and empowerment of people living with, at risk of and affected by HIV, women, children, bearing in mind the roles and responsibilities of parents, young people, especially young women and girls, local leaders, community-based organizations, indigenous communities and civil society more generally, as part of a broader effort to ensure that at least 6 per cent of all global AIDS resources are allocated for social enablers, including advocacy, community and political mobilization, community monitoring, public communication and outreach programmes to increase access to rapid tests and diagnosis, as well as human rights programmes such as law and policy reform and stigma and discrimination reduction.” (paragraph 64(a))
2011 Political Declaration of the HLM on NCDs
“Encourage the development of multisectoral public policies that create equitable health-promoting environments that empower individuals, families and communities to make healthy choices and lead healthy lives.” (paragraph 43(a))
2010 ILO Recommendation concerning HIV and AIDS and the world of work
“Highlighting the role of the workplace in facilitating access to prevention, treatment, care and support services, the Recommendation calls for the development, adoption and implementation of national tripartite workplace policies and programmes on HIV and AIDS and on occupational safety and health, which are to be integrated into national development plans and strategies. These policies and programmes are to be developed by member States in consultation with the most representative organizations of employers and workers, with the involvement of other actors, including organizations representing persons living with HIV, and taking account of the views of relevant sectors, particularly the health sector.” (paragraph 5)
2007 WHA Resolution on progress in the rational use of medicines
“Urges member states to develop and strengthen existing training programmes on rational use of medicines and ensure that they are taken into account in the curricula for all health professionals and medical students, including their continuing education, where appropriate, and to promote programmes of public education in rational use of medicines.” (paragraph 1(4))
1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
“Encourage all sectors of society, including the public sector, as well as international organizations, to develop compassionate and supportive, non-discriminatory HIV/AIDS-related policies and practices that protect the rights of infected individuals.” (paragraph 108(c))
Expert precedents
2022 OHCHR Annual Report on Human Rights and HIV/AIDS
“Recommend that States allocate and ring-fence budgetary resources for societal enablers, including stigma and discrimination reduction, the elimination of gender-based violence, reducing gender inequalities and harmful gender norms, increasing access to justice and action to support law reform.” (paragraph 54(a))
“Recommend that States allocate funds to community-led and community-based organizations to lead on activities to implement societal enablers, particularly those targeting key and vulnerable populations.” (paragraph 54(c))
Evidence
2020 Evidence Review of the UNAIDS Strategy 2016-2021
“Women’s access to property and inheritance rights can be vital for preventing HIV infection or mitigating its impact. Yet, customary laws and practices continue to inhibit women’s access to land in 90 countries, daughters do not have the same inheritance rights as sons in 34 countries, and widows lack inheritance rights in 36 countries” (pp. 74)