Category: The Civic Circle

UNAIDS today launched its 2025 Global AIDS Update, AIDS, Crisis and the Power to Transform, which shows that a historic funding crisis is threatening to unravel decades of progress unless countries can make radical shifts to HIV programming and funding.

Angeli Achrekar, UNAIDS Assistant Secretary-General, addressed virtually the press today (10 Jul) in New York about the report and said, “The report details one of the most successful public health responses in history, saving nearly 27 million lives, and showing what’s possible when the world comes together in solidarity. Right now, we show that 31 point 6 million people living with HIV, or 77 percent of all people living with HIV globally are on life saving treatment. This is extraordinary progress, and what we saw by the end of 2024 is that the end of AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 was indeed in sight.”

The report highlights the impact that the sudden, large-scale funding cuts from international donors are having on countries most affected by HIV.

Achrekar said, “There has been a sudden, abrupt, wave of massive cuts and weakening of aid consensus from the single largest HIV donor, but also other governments all over the world since January 2025, and onwards. And what’s happening is that it’s putting the entire global HIV response in peril.”

Yet it also showcases some inspiring examples of resilience, with countries and communities stepping up in the face of adversity to protect the gains made and drive the HIV response forward.

Some 25 of the 60 low and middle-income countries included in the report have indicated increases in domestic budgets for their HIV responses in 2026.

The estimated collective rise among the 25 countries amounts to 8 percent above current levels, translating to approximately USD 180 million in additional domestic resources.

Achrekar said, “We’re seeing phenomenal new tools, a suite of long-acting HIV prevention medicines that are already coming to market with injections just twice a year, that are nearly 100 percent effective at preventing and stopping HIV transmission from occurring.”

This is promising, but not sufficient to replace the scale of international funding in countries that are heavily reliant.

Achrekar explained, “We have modeled in this report and show that if the world does not act to mitigate and really ensure that there is continuity of support and resources for HIV prevention and treatment efforts, an additional 6 million HIV infections and an additional 4 million AIDS deaths will occur by 2029. What this means is that we will return to the late 1990s and early 2000s when the epidemic would it was at its deadliest peak.”

The event will open with insightful remarks from H.E. Ms. Mathu Joyini, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations, and Ndaba Mandela, Founder & Chairman of the Mandela Institute for Humanity.

Our goal is to create awareness about the International Day of Hope, establish a collaborative platform for governments and non-governmental organizations to exchange ideas and share diverse perspectives on humanity and “Hope”.

Strengthening the power of “Hope” through this meeting will contribute to transforming the world, paving the way for a sustainable future for all. It will further provide insight into fostering peace, prosperity, and sustainable development through “Power of Hope” for a failing system.

Highlights:
– Informal Meeting on Cyprus
– Syria
– Syria/Humanitarian
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Security Council
– MH17 Tragedy
– Sudan
– Haiti
– Myanmar

INFORMAL MEETING ON CYPRUS
Following the informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format that was held in Geneva on 17-18 March this year, the Secretary-General is convening another meeting that will get underway later today and tomorrow with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders as well as representatives of the guarantor powers of Greece, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. The informal meeting will start with a Welcome Dinner this evening, here at headquarters
The meeting will provide an opportunity to continue the dialogue and exchange views on the progress made since the meeting in March.
Tomorrow morning, the Secretary-General will hold bilateral meetings with the heads of delegations. This will be followed by a plenary meeting and a working lunch. The concluding session will take place tomorrow afternoon.
I also want to flag that this evening, at 6:50 p.m., there will be a photo opportunity ahead of the welcome dinner. If any of your photographers or camera people want to cover it, they have to go to MALU offices at least 30 minutes in advance. There will also be another couple of photo opportunities tomorrow, which will all be in the media alert that will go out.

SYRIA
The Secretary-General is alarmed by the continued escalation of violence in Suweida, which has reportedly claimed the lives of hundreds of people, including civilians, and injured and displaced many more.
The Secretary-General unequivocally condemns all violence against civilians, including reports of arbitrary killings and acts that fan the flames of sectarian tensions and robs the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace and reconciliation after fourteen years of a brutal conflict.
The Secretary-General extends his heartfelt condolences to all Syrians and reiterates his call for an immediate de-escalation of violence and urgent measures to restore calm and facilitate humanitarian access.
The Secretary-General does take note of the statement issued earlier today by the Office of the Presidency of Syria condemning the violations and committing to investigating and holding to account those responsible for them. We reiterate the Secretary-General’s appeal for transparency in this process.
The Secretary-General further condemns Israel’s escalatory airstrikes on Suweida, Daraa and in the center of the Syrian capital, Damascus, as well as reports of the Israel Defense Forces’ redeployment of forces in the Golan. He calls for an immediate cessation of all violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for respect of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.
The Secretary-General reiterates that it is imperative to support a credible, orderly and inclusive political transition in Syria in line with the key principles of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015).

SYRIA/HUMANITARIAN
The Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, is working the phones in the midst of this crisis, and his deputy, Najat Rochdi, is in Damascus and is actively in communications with various parties.
On the humanitarian front, colleagues are warning that the deadly hostilities continue to put civilians at risk, with ongoing reports of significant displacement and damage to critical infrastructure, including water, electricity and telecommunications networks.
Our Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, said that we and our humanitarian partners plan to send a delegation to assess the needs and provide essential assistance in Suweida, as soon as the conditions allow, and in full cooperation with the relevant authorities.
UN humanitarian colleagues also warn that access to the impacted areas remains severely constrained due to insecurity and due to road closures. Civilians are reportedly unable to reach facilities designated as collective shelters.
In parallel to this, our partners warn that medical services are overstretched, including in neighbouring Daraa Governorate, where hospitals are almost at capacity. The World Health Organization has dispatched emergency medical supplies to Daraa to support trauma care that exists there. Deliveries to Suweida remain pending obviously due to security access.