This report documents how both punitive and protective laws, policies and practices impact comprehensive HIV responses. To support the findings and recommendations, the report maps out recent judicial, legislative and policy developments and community responses at the global, regional and national levels. Together, these findings demonstrate why it is necessary for stakeholders across the spectrum to adopt a rights-based approach to universal access and proactively address policy and legal barriers to effective HIV responses. Finally, the report recommends that each government, development partner and UN agency take bold and effective programmatic and policy measures to reach out to communities and individuals at risk, particularly those living with HIV.