Today is International Human Rights Day. There are a total of thirty articles outlining people's human rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR):

Each year, on December 1st, World AIDS Day is observed. It is estimted that almost 40 million people worldwide are living with AIDs and HIV, the virus believed to cause AIDs which has killed more than 25 million people.



Currently, events are organized and managed by an independent organization called The World AIDS Campaign. Prior to 2005, UNAIDS which is the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS performed those duties from it's inaguration in 1988 to 2004. The specific goal of UNAIDS is to "together the efforts and resources of ten UN system organizations to help the world prevent new HIV infections, care for those already infected, and mitigate the impact of the epidemic."

The UNAIDS site noted that "UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was joined by UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot and leaders of different faiths to commemorate World AIDS Day at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in New York.

The Secretary-General delivered a poignant message calling AIDS ‘the greatest challenge of our generation’. The gathering in New York was one of a host of events taking place around the world to mark World." Here is a PDF of the speech he gave.

Download UNAIDS 96-page PDF document on the AIDS epidemic which details the latest developments in the global AIDS epidemic.

Created in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), it comtains maps and regional summaries, and provides the most recent estimates of the epidemic’s scope and human toll, explores new trends in the epidemic’s evolution. It's available in multiple languages, and is also available chapter by chapter.

HIV positive man with his caring mother in his home. New Delhi, India. Credit: UNAIDS/W. Phillips

Valeria, HIV positive mother and activist says, "HIV positive children should enjoy full rights for treatment and schooling, just like other children." Ukraine. Credit: UNAIDS/WHO/V. Suvorov

A Commercial Sex Worker (CSW) at the Poor brothel district of Phnom Penh known as Phum Thmey (New Village). Sihanouk Ville Province, Cambodia. Credit: UNAIDS/S. Noorani

Kicosehp NGO, Kibera Community Self Help programme, Kenya, Africa. This is the largest slum area in Africa with over 1 million people. HIV/AIDS incidence is very high. Support group for people living with HIV/AIDS. Materials prepared by the youth for the youth. Credit: UNAIDS/G. Pirozzi

HIV and AIDS education programme for young people in a Buddhist Temple in Thailand. Credit: UNAIDS/O. O’Hanlon

An NGO-led HIV and AIDS information session among young people in Costa Rica, Latin America. Credit: WHO/UNAIDS

Young girl in Rwanda. Credit: UNAIDS/R. Cangale

Health promotion. Women's group in a meeting. Upper Egypt. Credit: UNAIDS/G. Pirozzi

Four year old Anucha Phoupinta (centre) and other students outside their school in Phayao, northern Thailand. Anucha's father died of AIDS and his mother left home after learning that she, too, was infected with the virus. Anucha Phoupinta now lives with his grandparents. Credit: UNAIDS/S. Noorani

Download the press kit. Download the photographs of people either living with AIDs or affected by the AIDs epidemic. View some PSAs and short films intended to mobilise the base.