A/HRC/19/37 implementation of effective interventions such as harm-reduction programmes and stop criminalization of people based on sexual orientation, drug use or HIV transmission. 9. In his address to the high-level panel on prevention, the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights highlighted the critical links between human rights and protective versus punitive legal and social environments. He proposed five human rights priority actions that are needed to sustain the global AIDS response: (a) reaching those most vulnerable to discrimination and ensuring that they have access to HIV services; (b) involving people living with HIV in all aspects of the response, no matter what group they belong to; (c) reviewing punitive laws on HIV transmission and exposure, sex work, homosexuality, travel restrictions and mandatory testing and strengthening laws and policies on sexuality education and women’s rights; (d) eliminating gender-based discrimination and violence and scaling up programmes to address this issue; and (e) removing regulatory, trade and other barriers that block the human rights imperative of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. His remarks echoed those of the Secretary-General, who stated at the opening plenary meeting of the High-Level Meeting that “from its birth, the campaign against AIDS was much more than a battle against disease. It was a cry for human rights. It was a call for greater equality. It was a fight to end discrimination based on sexual orientation. And it was a demand for equal treatment of all people”. III. A human rights analysis of the 2011 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS 10. The adoption of the 2011 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS symbolizes a renewed global commitment to stop, reverse and eliminate AIDS. By reaffirming previous declarations and setting new targets, Member States agreed to address the issue of leadership to end the HIV epidemic; expand HIV-prevention coverage, diversify approaches and intensify efforts to end new infections; increase access to treatment, care and support; advance human rights to reduce stigma, discrimination and violence; address resource constraints and the efficient utilization of resources for AIDS; strengthen health systems and integrate HIV into broader health and development; accelerate research and development to prevent, treat and cure HIV; and establish coordination, monitoring and accountability mechanisms to maximize the response. Some of the important highlights of the declaration include a commitment to: (a) Reduce sexual transmission of HIV by half by 2015; (b) Eliminate transmission of HIV from mother-to-child by 2015; (c) Reduce transmission of HIV among people who inject drugs by half by 2015; (d) Increase the number of people on lifesaving treatment to 15 million by 2015; (e) Reduce tuberculosis-related deaths by half by 2015; (f) Eliminate gender inequalities and gender-based abuse and violence, increase the capacity of women and adolescent girls to protect themselves from the risk of HIV infection; (g) Engage people living with and affected by HIV in decision-making and planning, implementing and evaluating the response; (h) Redouble HIV-prevention efforts by, among other measures, facilitating access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services and expanding risk and harm reduction programmes; 7