The European Union, speaking through Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis at the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS on 22 June 2026, urged accelerated multisectoral and rights-based action to end the epidemic by 2030, warning that the window to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.3 is closing rapidly and that global HIV targets for 2025 have not been met.
The EU statement, delivered on behalf of the 27 Member States, outlined seven priority areas: reaffirming commitment to multilateralism; strengthening synergies with tuberculosis, hepatitis and HPV programmes; fostering partnerships among governments, civil society and the private sector; expanding prevention, testing and treatment with equitable access to PrEP and long-acting options; transitioning towards health sovereignty with stronger domestic financing; respecting intellectual property rules while promoting voluntary technology transfer; and tackling stigma and discrimination through community-led responses.
The EU highlighted its financial support, noting a pledge of more than €3 billion to the Global Fund's 8th replenishment. The statement also called for the 2026 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS to serve as a pathway grounded in science, solidarity, accountability and human rights, thanking Georgia and Botswana for leading the negotiations.
The speech did not announce new EU funding or policy measures beyond reiterating existing commitments. The EU's position aligns with the Global AIDS Strategy 2026–2031 and the Sevilla Commitment on sustainable financing. The meeting comes at a critical juncture as the 2030 deadline approaches and progress has slowed in some regions.