The Coalition of Community Networks and Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria express it’s profound alarm and deep concern about the recommendation contained in the UN80 Initiative to “sunset UNAIDS by the end of 2026” as part of a broader restructuring of the United Nations system. The organization reviewed the attempt to dismantle the UN agency dedicated to the global HIV/AIDS response as ill-timed, and a setback that signals a profound departure from the UN’s commitment to millions of lives worldwide
Why This Proposal Is Deeply Concerning
While global efforts have significantly reduced HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths over the past decades, progress remains uneven across countries and regions. The proposal to dismantle UNAIDS is not only ill-advised, but dangerously shortsighted and a betrayal of communities living with and affected by HIV.
UNAIDS has been advancing a transition path that prioritizes inclusive, multisectoral, and sustainable national HIV responses, led by governments and communities, and funded largely by domestic resources. AIDS is not over; and the global AIDS response has been upset in recent times that it requires deliberate and concerted efforts to achieve the SDG target of ending AIDS by 2030.
Any attempt to dismantle UNAIDS at this point risks reversing hard-won gains, undermining donor confidence, (including from key external partners such as PEPFAR and the Global Fund), and sending a chilling message to communities still grappling with the epidemic.
UNAIDS: A Lifeline & Visibility for Communities
It’s important to emphasis that UNAIDS is the only UN agency that places communities and civil society at the heart of its mandate and governance. To contemplate dismantling is to betray the very people it was created to serve especially women and young people living with HIV and key populations who rely on its leadership, advocacy, and convening power.
Removing this essential pillar of global AIDS response will also cost lives, undermine the coherence of the HIV response, and the partnerships that work with civil society, communities, government and partners which have been central to UNAIDS.
Unanswered Questions and Shattered Promises
Sunsetting UNAIDS raises urgent and unresolved questions:
Who will assume the leadership role in coordinating the global HIV response?
Has the UN abandoned its commitment to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030?
Won’t the proposal undermine the 2030 target, leaving communities questioning the UN’s commitment?
We fear this move signals a retreat from global solidarity and a disregard for the lived realities of millions affected by HIV.
Call to Action
We as a Coalition respectful of the UN Mandate calls on the UN Secretary-General and Member States to:
Reject the proposal to sunset UNAIDS
Strengthen UNAIDS’ mandate and core functions.
Protect the integrity of the UN80 reform process without undermining the HIV response.
We acknowledge the importance of reforming and modernizing the UN system. However, we reject any attempt to use the UN80 process as a vehicle to disrupt or dismantle progress in the global HIV response.
Final Appeal
We urge the Secretary-General to intervene decisively to halt the confusion and uncertainty this proposal has caused among stakeholders, especially communities, civil society and donors. The path forward must reaffirm UNAIDS’ role and accelerate efforts to achieve the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
We stand ready to engage with the UN and Member States to co-create solutions that preserve UNAIDS’ legacy and ensure no one is left behind
About the Coalition
The Nigerian Coalition of Community Networks and Civil Society Organizations is a unified voice of community-led and civil society groups, advocates, and health rights defenders committed to advancing the HIV response, protecting vulnerable populations, and holding institutions accountable.
Signed:
Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN)
Nigeria Key Population Health and Rights Network (NKPHRN)
International Community of Women Living with HIV- (ICW-WA)
Association of Women living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (ASWHAN)
Association of Positive Youth Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (APYIN)
Civil Society Network for HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN)