The United Nations bases its current HIV/AIDS policy on non-discrimination and respect for human rights. Reducing the risk of peacekeepers contracting or transmitting HIV while on mission is a key priority of the UN. Member States are strongly encouraged to provide pre-deployment voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for peacekeepers and a standardized training module has been developed for troop and police contributing countries to establish a base level of HIV knowledge and awareness prior to deployment. National HIV/AIDS programmes for uniformed personnel also receive technical and financial support from UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) and its cosponsors.

All major peacekeeping operations have AIDS advisers, supported by UN Volunteers and national professionals, to provide ongoing sensitisation and awareness for civilian and uniformed personnel, including the training of peer educators; smaller missions have focal points. UNAIDS awareness cards are distributed in 12 languages and contain basic facts about HIV transmission and what to do in an accident.

The UN's HIV/AIDS strategy in peacekeeping operations has five central elements: (1) the creation of specific capacity within missions for AIDS programmes; (2) ensuring the availability of condoms for personnel and observing universal medical precautions, including the provision of screened blood supplies and post-exposure prophylaxis kits; (3) the development of voluntary counselling and testing capacities in missions; (4) establishing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, like the 2005 HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitude and practice survey among peacekeepers in Liberia; and (5) developing outreach projects specifically targeting local communities and integrating HIV/AIDS concerns into broader mandated activities, such as disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and the training of national police forces.