New HIV law was adopted in Azerbaijan

In May 2010, a new law on HIV/AIDS passed a third reading in the Parliament of Azerbaijan (Milli Meclis). The law was developed by a parliamentary working group based on country specific recommendations for the update of national legislation and normative frameworks on drug control and HIV. The recommendations were made by national experts and supported by UNODC.

Azerbaijan has been struggling with a dual epidemic of illicit drug use and HIV infection, the latter predominately driven by the former. This law is focused on preventing the spread of HIV among vulnerable population groups and ensuring implementation of effective and proven preventative methods and approaches.

The law is human rights based and focused on the universal accessibility of HIV related services. This ensures the implementation of evidence-based large-scale and comprehensive targeted HIV interventions, including drug users in the public sector and inmates in custodial settings. UNTG along with representatives of the Ministries of Health, Justice and Internal Affairs, the Ombudsmen Office, Open Society Institute and Harm Reduction Network have been closely involved in the process of commenting and the provision of technical support from beginning to end. This cooperation is a striking example of interagency collaboration and multi-sector approaches.