The 40th meeting of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 27 to 29 June.

During the opening session, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé gave an update on the status of the Joint Programme and the changes made in response to the recommendations of the Global Review Panel on the Future of the UNAIDS Joint Programme Model—an independent review requested by the UNAIDS Board during its last meeting.

Mr Sidibé also spoke about the progress made in the AIDS response and outlined the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in an unpredictable and changing political environment. He stressed the need to address the complex interconnected crises that are fragmenting societies by working across issues, mandates and organizations. He also called for the need to create a movement around the right to HIV prevention, similar to the existing movement for the right to HIV treatment. Mr Sidibé requested the Board to stay vigilant and help to break the conspiracy of complacency, because, as he stressed, AIDS is not yet over.

The Board also heard from the First Lady of Panama, Lorena Castillo de Varela, who was this year’s special guest. As the UNAIDS Special Ambassador for AIDS in Latin America, she emphasized the need to tackle discrimination and exclusion and to put human rights at the centre of the AIDS response in order to leave no one behind.

The thematic segment of the Board meeting will take place on the last day and will focus on HIV prevention. Participants will discuss the current status of primary HIV prevention, share best-practices, identify gaps in programmes and financing and develop strategies to reach people at higher risk.

The 40th meeting of the UNAIDS Board is being chaired by Ghana, with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland acting as Vice-Chair and Japan as Rapporteur.