WCC FEATURE: UN High-Level Meeting on HIV and AIDS will bring Political Declaration—but will it bring commitment?

An HIV High Level Meeting, scheduled for 22-23 June, will bring, as its main outcome, a Political Declaration. While not legally binding for UN Member States, civil society organizations and communities can make the declaration actionable. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 19 June 2026 For Gracia Violeta Ross, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme executive for HIV, Reproductive Health, and Pandemics, this is not an abstract policy discussion.  “It is about survival,” she said. “It is about dignity.” It is about whether millions of people like Ross—who has been living with HIV for 26 years—will continue to have access to treatment, care, hope—and life. “As governments prepare to adopt a new Political Declaration, I am reminded of the power these declarations can have—when they are backed by real commitment,” she said. “Political Declarations can change lives.” The first global HIV commitment adopted in 2001, and signed by Bolivia, Ross’ home country, was not just a piece of paper. “It became a tool for accountability,” said Ross. “Communities organized. We advocated. We demanded that our government fulfil what it had committed to at the global level.” Commitment to transformation At the beginning of the HIV response in Bolivia, the Global Fund financed almost everything related to HIV. “But we used the Political Declaration to push for national ownership,” she said. “The path toward sustainability took years—at least seven years of continuous advocacy, dialogue, and pressure from communities.” Step by step, the government began to invest. “Today, 95% of antiretroviral treatment in Bolivia is financed by the government,” said Ross. “This transformation did not happen by chance. It happened because global commitments were translated into national action—and because communities held governments accountable.” The draft of the Political Declaration set before the UN High-Level Meeting on HIV and AIDS contains important elements: recognition of inequalities, the role of communities, and the need for sustained action. “But there is one area where it remains too weak: financing,” said Ross. “And yet, financing is the most essential part.” Without it, there are no prevention programmes, no treatment, no community services, and no continuity of care. “In other words, there are no lives saved,” said Ross. “If governments are serious about ending AIDS, that seriousness must be reflected in stronger financing commitments in the Political Declaration—and in real budget decisions.” Financial challenges At this moment, Ross, said, it is critical that governments not only speak about financing, but that they explicitly support the Global Fund both in the Political Declaration and in their international cooperation budgets. “The reason is simple,” she said. “The Global Fund is not an abstract mechanism. It delivers at country and community level. It brings health, lifesaving treatment, hope, and enables the leadership of communities.” Ross noted that the Global Fund is doing more than saving over 70 million lives. “It is advancing democracy, strengthening equity, and promoting transparency and accountability,” she said. “Through its model, communities are not passive recipients—we are part of decision-making.” Today, the global HIV response is facing massive financial challenges. “We are already seeing drastic cuts to HIV funding, growing pressure on national health budgets, and increasing risks to prevention and community-led services,” she said. “The reality is clear: countries will not be able to take on the full responsibility alone, especially in the short term.” Deeply moral moment Ross believes international solidarity must remain strong—not as charity, but as responsibility. “It is the right thing, the fair thing, and the just thing to do,” she said. "From a faith perspective, this moment is deeply moral.” This Political Declaration will shape the future of the HIV response. “If it includes strong commitments on financing and explicit support to mechanisms like the Global Fund, we can sustain progress, protect communities, and move closer to ending AIDS,” said Ross. “If it does not, services will shrink, inequalities will deepen, and lives will be lost.” Governments now have a choice— a choice, Ross said, to ensure that this Political Declaration strengthens commitments to sustainable and predictable financing, explicitly supports the Global Fund as a key delivery mechanism, reaffirms international solidarity alongside domestic investment, protects community-led responses, and translates commitment into real action. At a public health level, budget are moral choices. “Because in the end, this is not about words,” she said. “It is about whether we choose to sustain life—or allow progress to be reversed. And for those of us living with HIV, the answer is not theoretical. It is deeply personal.” See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland