A/HRC/12/50 particular least developed countries and those in Africa, in their efforts to prevent the spread of the epidemic and alleviate and control the detrimental impact of HIV/AIDS on the human rights of their people; 4. Encourages all countries to eliminate HIV-specific restrictions on entry, stay and residence and ensure that people living with HIV are no longer excluded, detained or deported on the basis of their HIV status; 5. Recalls the commitment, as expressed by the General Assembly in its Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS, to intensifying efforts to ensure that a wide range of prevention programmes that take into account local circumstances, ethics and cultural values is available in all countries, particularly the most affected countries, including information, education and communication, in languages most understood by communities and respectful of cultures, aimed at reducing risk-taking behaviours and encouraging responsible sexual behaviour, including abstinence and fidelity, expanded access to essential commodities, including male and female condoms and sterile injecting equipment, harm-reduction efforts related to drug use, expanded access to voluntary and confidential counselling and testing, safe blood supplies, and early and effective treatment of sexually transmitted infections; 6. Urges all States to eliminate gender inequalities, gender-based abuse and violence, increase the capacity of women and girls, including those in prison or detention, to protect themselves from the risk of HIV transmission, principally through the provision of health care, and services, including sexual and reproductive health, and the provision of full access to comprehensive information and education, ensure that women can exercise their right to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters relating to their sexuality in order to increase their ability to protect themselves from HIV transmission, including their sexual and reproductive health, free of coercion, discrimination and violence, integrate the promotion and protection of reproductive rights, as understood in previous international commitments, such as the Programme of Action adopted by the International Conference on Population and Development in September 1994 and the Beijing Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the Fourth World Conference for Women in September 1995, as strong and robust components of their national strategies on HIV/AIDS, and take all necessary measures to improve legal access and protection for women and girls, and to create an enabling environment for the empowerment of women and strengthen their economic independence, and in this context, reiterates the importance of the role of men and boys in achieving gender equality; 7. Requests States to develop further and, where necessary, to establish coordinated, participatory, gender-sensitive, transparent and accountable national policies and programmes for the HIV response, and to translate those national policies at the district level into local action, in prisons or detentions, involving, in close cooperation with civil society and in all phases of development and implementation, non-governmental, faith- and community-based organizations, women’s organizations, advocacy groups and representatives of people living with HIV and other key populations affected by the epidemic; 8. Calls upon States to address as a priority the vulnerabilities faced by children affected by and living with HIV, including those who find themselves trapped in armed conflicts, providing support and rehabilitation to these children and their families, women and older persons, particularly in their role as caregivers, promoting child-oriented HIV/AIDS policies and programmes, including the issue of paediatric HIV services and drugs, and increased protection for children orphaned and affected by HIV/AIDS, and intensifying efforts to develop new treatments for children, and building, where needed, and supporting the social security systems that protect them; 57