A/RES/65/277 antiretroviral treatment now, that discontinued treatment is a threat to treatment efficacy, and that the sustainability of providing life-long HIV treatment is threatened by factors such as poverty, lack of access to treatment and insufficient and unpredictable funding and by the fact that the number of new HIV infections is outpacing the number of people starting HIV treatment by a factor of two to one; 34. Recognize the pivotal role of research in underpinning progress in HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, and welcome the extraordinary advances in scientific knowledge about HIV and its prevention and treatment, but note with concern that most new treatments are not available or accessible in low- and middleincome countries and that even in developed countries there are often significant delays in accessing new HIV treatments for people not responding to currently available treatment, and affirm the importance of social and operational research in improving our understanding of factors that influence the epidemic and actions that address it; 35. Recognize the critical importance of affordable medicines, including generics, in scaling up access to affordable HIV treatment, and further recognize that protection and enforcement measures for intellectual property rights should be compliant with the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) 5 and should be interpreted and implemented in a manner supportive of the right of Member States to protect public health and, in particular, to promote access to medicines for all; 36. Note with concern that regulations, policies and practices, including those that limit legitimate trade in generic medicines, may seriously limit access to affordable HIV treatment and other pharmaceutical products in low- and middle-income countries, and recognize that improvements can be made, inter alia through national legislation, regulatory policy and supply chain management, noting that reductions in barriers to affordable products could be explored in order to expand access to affordable and good quality HIV prevention products, diagnostics, medicine and treatment commodities for HIV, including for opportunistic infections and co-infections; 37. Recognize that there are additional means to reverse the global epidemic and avert millions of HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, and in this context also recognize that new and potential scientific evidence is available that could contribute to the effectiveness and scaling up of prevention, treatment, care and support programmes; 38. Reaffirm the commitment to fulfil obligations to promote universal respect for and the observance and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all in accordance with the Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 6 and other instruments relating to human rights and international law; and emphasize the importance of cultural, ethical and religious values, the vital role of the family and the community and, in particular, of people living with and affected by HIV, including their families, and the need to take into account the particularities of each country in sustaining national HIV and AIDS responses, reaching all people living with HIV, delivering HIV prevention, treatment, care and support and strengthening health systems, in particular primary health care; _______________ 5 See Legal Instruments Embodying the Results of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, done at Marrakesh on 15 April 1994 (GATT secretariat publication, Sales No. GATT/1994–7). 6 Resolution 217 A (III). 6