UN/AIDS-Programme

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, aims at reducing the consequences of the disease for those infected, as well as at offering them support. The programme creates general guidelines for action regarding the prevention of HIV/AIDS, co-ordinates the activities of its partner organizations, and offers them technical assistance. Finland has given financial support to UNAIDS since its foundation and is one of the major donors of the organization, together with other Nordic countries. This gives Finland an excellent possibility to influence the policies of UNAIDS. The organization speaks strongly for human rights, especially in the context of the HIV-positive patients (drug users, sex workers, among others). The promotion of human rights and equality in the HIV/AIDS response have been defined as one of the top priorities in the UNAIDS strategy. According to Finland’s Development Policy Programme, the Finnish HIV/AIDS funding is mainly channelled through the UN system, in particular through UNAIDS.