UNESCO's work on HIV and AIDS focuses on three key priorities:

• Building country capacity for effective and sustainable education responses to HIV;
• Strengthening comprehensive HIV and sexuality education; and
• Advancing gender equality and protecting human rights. 

UNESCO is a UNAIDS cosponsor and supports countries' responses to HIV with advocacy, policy and programmatic guidance, and technical and strategic support, convening and coordination. This work is carried out in accordance with the bold strategic goals outlined in Getting to Zero, the UNAIDS roadmap to 2015.

The Organization supports responses to HIV and AIDS that are inclusive and sensitive to the needs of all people and, in particular, key populations especially vulnerable to HIV and young people in school settings.

UNESCO also supports responses that are gender and age responsive, culturally appropriate, evidence-informed, grounded in human rights, and involve people living with HIV and vulnerable populations at all stages.

UNESCO plays a leading role in EDUCAIDS and the UNAIDS Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT) on Education, which are part of the UN's global effort to ensure all people have universal access to HIV and AIDS prevention programmes, treatment, care and support. UNESCO’s response to HIV and AIDS is founded upon the Millennium Development Goals, Education for All (EFA) and the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, adopted at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS) in 2001.