All persons, couples, families, communities and nations must work together with compassion to build and share a common vision. These partnerships must reflect and actively promote solidarity, inclusion, integration, dialogue, participation and harmony. The empowerment of every person, but particularly women, the poor, the uneducated and children, is essential and must guide all action. Empowerment requires recognition of the right to knowledge, information and technology, freedom of choice and economic opportunity. Every person directly affected by the epidemic should remain an integral part of his or her community, with the right of equal access to work, housing, education and social services, with the right to marry, with freedom of movement, belief and association, with the right to counselling, care and treatment, justice and equality.
Every person directly affected by the epidemic has a right to confidentiality and privacy.
It can only be breached in exceptional circumstances. Every person and community should change and adapt social and cultural conditions to the new challenges of the epidemic in order to respond effectively. The interests of the research subjects or communities should be paramount. HIV testing should also not be a pre-requisite for access to work, travel or other services.