Petition TAKE ACTION FOR LEGAL REFORM TO STOP HIV IN THE COMMONWEALTH

In many Commonwealth countries, populations of sex workers, injecting drug users and men who have sex with men and transgender communities have much higher HIV prevalence rates than the general population. People among these communities face significant barriers in accessing HIV programs which arise from discriminatory laws and policies and by laws that criminalise homosexuality; sexual transmission of/exposure to HIV; drug use; and commercial sex work.

The UK government should prioritize the following commitments at the Commonwealth:

- Scaling up programmes that mitigate the HIV and AIDS pandemic, including decriminalising same-sex sexual conduct and reforming laws that undermine effective response to HIV;
- Ensuring that the Commonwealth Secretariat is fully empowered to support member states to accelerate the process of legal reform.
-Creating an independent Commonwealth Commissioner on Democracy and the Rule of Law;