Countries adopt an ambitious new development agenda that will leave no one behind
NEW YORK/GENEVA, 25 September 2015—UNAIDS has welcomed the adoption by world leaders of the new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which set the framework for global development policy over the next 15 years. The ambitious agenda outlines 17 goals ranging from ending poverty and hunger, to achieving gender equality and combatting climate change.
“Today marks a historic opportunity for the world to unite for a healthier planet and a healthier future for all,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Commitment, action and implementation will allow for truly sustainable results for people everywhere.”
The agenda builds on the achievements of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals which were set in 2000 and included a commitment to halt and reverse the AIDS epidemic. Since then, there has been massive scale up of the response to HIV which enabled the world to not only achieve, but actually exceed the AIDS targets of Millennium Development Goal 6. UNAIDS has now set a firm course to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the new Sustainable Development Goals.
To achieve this UNAIDS has developed a Fast-Track approach to reach a set of time-bound targets by 2020. The targets include reducing new HIV infections by 75%, ensuring 90% of all people living with HIV know their HIV status, ensuring 90% of people who know their status have access to treatment and that 90% of people on treatment have supressed viral loads, keeping them healthy and reducing the risk of transmission.
The response to HIV spans many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and is included under Sustainable Goal 3, to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. UNAIDS looks forward to working closely with all partners to ensure a healthier, more equitable future which leaves no one behind.
“The targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals provide us with a road map to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Mr Sidibé. “This international framework has the potential to save millions of lives and to achieve fairer and more just outcomes for people everywhere.”
UNAIDS
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
