Geneva, July 7, 2022— UNAIDS applauds the ruling of the Antigua and Barbuda High Court of Justice that effectively decriminalises consensual same-sex sexual activity by holding that sections 12 and 15 of the Caribbean country’s 1995 Sexual Offences Act are unconstitutional. The court held that the criminalisation of consensual sexual acts between same-sex, adult partners infringes the rights to liberty, legal protection, freedom of expression, privacy and protection from discrimination based on sex. This ruling is an important step toward creating a more equitable context for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Antigua and Barbuda to exercise their rights to dignity, justice and health.