[Editorial] The clock is ticking for UNAIDS

In March, 2025, UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched UN80, an initiative marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the organisation. Acknowledging changing global priorities and shocks to aid financing, the UN80 initiative is intended to adapt the UN for the present day by improving efficiency and ensuring processes are fit for purpose. The UN80 proposal “to sunset UNAIDS by the end of 2026”, which “would entail mainstreaming capacity and expertise into relevant entities of the UN development system in 2027”, was both surprising and, to some, seemingly inevitable.