Activists and people affected by HIV and AIDS joined a global rally for human rights during the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City.

The rally featured keynote addresses by Mary Robinson, executive director of the Ethical Globalization Initiative and former UN high commissioner for Human Rights and president of Ireland; Mark Heywood, head of the AIDS Law Project, South Africa; and Peter Piot, UNAIDS executive director, among others.

During the rally, a copy of the declaration HIV/AIDS and Human Rights: Now More Than Ever, endorsed by over 500 organizations worldwide, was presented to high-level officials.
The declaration states that universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care programs will never be achieved without a full range of human rights protections for groups most affected by HIV.