HIV and AIDS Legal Environment Assessments

HIV and AIDS Legal Environment Assessments

June 17, 2015

HIV/AIDS continues to present a serious challenge to health and development in many countries. As has been demonstrated by the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, laws and policies based on public health evidence and human rights are the foundation of enabling legal environments that have the potential to positively impact the HIV response. In follow up to the recommendations of the report of the Commission, and in line with the UNDP 'Strategic Plan 2014-2017' and the UNAIDS '2011-2015 Strategy: Getting to Zero', UNDP has supported countries in undertaking Legal Environment Assessments with the goal of assisting governments, civil society and other stakeholders to develop evidence-informed policy and strategy, to review and reform laws and policies based on human rights considerations, and to support increased capacity to achieve enabling legal environments for effective HIV responses.
 

Here, these assessments are presented and will be updated as more countries embark on evaluating gaps in laws and policies. While UNDP recommends a specific methodology for conducting Legal Environment Assessments for HIV, the process for which also facilitates the partnerships between government and civil society, and technical assistance from multilaterals, that go beyond simple review to partnerships for law reform, some countries have conducted other legal reviews (for instance, simple desk reviews) that are also included here.

 
To find out more about Legal Environment Assessments and the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, please visit the Commission’s site here.