UNDP and Global Fund Strategies

A number of key partners in the response to HIV, TB and malaria, as well as other diseases, recognize the importance of promoting a rights-based approach. A number of UN, UNDP and health partner strategies[1]—which guide UNDP’s work—explicitly mention the importance of promoting a rights-based and gender-sensitive approach to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2016-2021: Connecting the Dots elaborates UNDP’s core work in reducing inequalities and social exclusion that drive HIV and poor health, promoting effective and inclusive governance for health, and building resilient and sustainable systems for health. UNDP also contributes through its coordinating and convening role in bringing together multiple partners and resources at national and local levels

In the context of Global Fund grants, this is especially relevant for SDG 3:  Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, which must be interpreted in light of the commitments under the cross-cutting Goal 5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment. Such an approach will help to ensure the sustainability of HIV results and support the achievement of the goals of the UNAIDS Strategy 2016-2021, the Global Fund Strategy 2017-2021 and contribute to progress on the SDGs.

In particular, the Global Fund’s Strategic Objective #3, for the 2017-2022 Strategy, calls for investments to “promote and protect human rights and gender equality.”  Strategic Objective #3 is further developed in operational objectives, which call for: scaling-up programmes to support women and girls, including programmess to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights; investing to reduce health inequities including gender- and age-related disparities; introducing and scaling up programmes that remove human rights barriers to accessing HIV, TB and malaria services; supporting meaningful participation of key and vulnerable populations and networks in Global Fund-related processes; and integrating human rights considerations throughout the grant cycle and in policies and policymaking processes.

[1]UNDP’s work in HIV and health is guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UNDP Strategic Plan 2014–2017, the UNDP Global Programme 2014–2017 and related Regional Programmes, as well as complementary UNDP strategies such as the Gender Equality Strategy 2014–2017, the Youth Strategy 2014–2017 and the UNDP Strategy on Civil Society and Civic Engagement. The work is also consistent with relevant partner strategies, including the UNAIDS Strategy 2016–2021 ‘On the Fast-Track to End AIDS’, the Global Fund Strategy 2017–2022 ‘Investing to End Epidemics’, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (2005), the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases 2013-2020 and the Every Woman, Every Child initiative of the United Nations.