The HIV/AIDS Legal Assessment Tool, which ABA ROLI developed with funding support from the U.S. Agency for International Development, is a mechanism for assessing a country’s compliance with international legal standards on the protection of human rights of people living with, and affected by, HIV. When implemented in a country, the tool uncovers incidences of HIV-related discrimination, explores whether the legal system is equipped to eliminate discriminatory practices and studies the government’s commitment of resources to ensure the rights of people living with HIV and key populations. ABA ROLI’s tool will contribute to achieving the global goal of getting to zero on HIV-related discrimination by helping local stakeholders identify important elements of the reform process and by facilitating rule of law programming in the context of HIV and AIDS.
The tool, which focuses on discrimination in both public and private life, derives its principles from a variety of internal standard-setting documents and other sources of international law. It is designed to highlight those areas that need to be addressed to eliminate HIV-related discrimination. The tool’s analytical framework consists of 22 factor statements—organized into sections for access to essential services, equality in public and private life, key populations and access to justice—that serve as indicators to analyze domestic laws, policies and practices in key areas where HIV-related discrimination is likely to occur.
During her presentation, ABA ROLI Senior Legal Analyst Paulina Rudnicka contributed to the prevailing experts’ view that the path to an AIDS-free generation is only possible through enhanced multi-sectoral collaboration and an end to injustice. “When people living with HIV and key populations enjoy equality in all aspects of public and private life, they are more likely to seek testing, receive counseling and maintain treatment regimens,” said Rudnicka, who co-authored the tool. “Conversely, discrimination forces people underground and increases their vulnerability to HIV and AIDS.”
To learn more about our research and assessments, contact the ABA Rule of Law Initiative at firstname.lastname@example.org.