THE CAMPAIGN

“As a community, we have the mandate to demand accountability. It is time for all allies and stakeholders to stand in solidarity with the community and take action to ensure global commitments are fulfilled. The rhetoric must stop.”

The Not A Criminal campaign is a partnership between

gnp
HJ_Not-a-criminal-campaign-partner
ICW_Not-a-criminal-campaign-partner
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INPUD_Not-a-criminal-campaign-partner
GATE_Not-a-criminal-campaign-partner
MPact_Not-a-criminal-campaign-partner

With the Not A Criminal campaign, we are demanding that governments replace bad laws with evidence-based legislation to protect our communities from stigma, discrimination, criminalisation, and violence. We have joined forces because we have diverse and intersecting identities. Members of our communities may be subjected to various types of stigma, discrimination and criminalisation, and those identifying with more than one key population may face additional barriers to equality, justice, and services.

Our communities are resilient, smart, creative, compassionate, powerful, and persistent.

Let’s connect, mobilise and take action. Together, we are stronger.

The Not A Criminal campaign is directed toward those with the power to change harmful criminal and other punitive laws: governments, legislators and policymakers.

Countries have committed to the Sustainable Development Goals which include ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. This commitment is complemented by the adoption of the Global AIDS Strategy and the 2021 UN High-Level Meeting Political Declaration on HIV. Governments must create enabling legal environments for people living with, most at risk of, and affected by HIV, to enjoy our rights and access the services we need.

Outdated laws, together with harmful and persistent misinformation, as well as stigma and discrimination, restrict our abilities to access HIV prevention, testing and treatment services, put us at increased risk of violence and insecurity, and undermine our human rights. We cannot afford to remain silent while these unjust laws remain in effect. We are NOT CRIMINALS.

We recognize that institutions including United Nations agencies and funders have significant influence with respect to national government actions. The Not A Criminal campaign therefore also targets these influential actors.

The Not A Criminal campaign will:

  • increase awareness about the urgent need to decriminalise HIV non-disclosure, potential or perceived exposure, and unintentional transmission; drug use and possession of drugs for personal use; the profession of sex work; same-sex sexual relations; diverse gender identities and gender expressions; and seeking sexual and reproductive health services, wanting to become pregnant, and breastfeeding/chestfeeding while living with HIV.
  • increase decriminalisation advocacy and collaboration amongst people living with HIV, people who use drugs, sex workers, people of diverse sexualities, gender identities and gender expressions, and people living with HIV seeking sexual and reproductive health services, having children or breastfeeding/chestfeeding.
  • lead to the repeal or reform of laws that criminalise HIV non-disclosure, potential or perceived exposure, and unintentional transmission; drug use and possession of drugs for personal use; the profession of sex work; same-sex sexual relations; diverse gender identities and gender expressions; and seeking sexual and reproductive health services, wanting to become pregnant, and breastfeeding/chestfeeding while living with HIV.