Calling on world leaders to urgently scale up efforts, EI and the GUFs acknowledged that progress had been made in providing education, testing, treatment, care and peer support through workplace action, with notable success. Speaking at an opening event organised by the International Labour Organization, EI Deputy General Secretary, Jan Eastman, emphasised the fundamental role that trade unions play in the responding to HIV. She also welcomed the recent adoption of the ILO Recommendation on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work. According to Eastman, the first international labour standard on the critical issue is a major achievement for the labour movement, and significant progress can be achieved with the commitment of governments and the active participation of workers. The theme for the XVIII International AIDS Conference is ‘Rights Here, Right Now’ and brings together more than 20,000 delegates, including HIV/AIDS scientists; public health officials; trade union advocates, and front-line workers in the fight against this disease. The International AIDS Conference provides a platform for the world’s HIV/AIDS leaders to share the latest information and science on HIV prevention, treatment and care, and is an opportunity to assess the progress made in the global response to disease.