The Global Commission on HIV and the Law consisted of fourteen distinguished individuals who advocate on issues of HIV, public health, law and development. Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former president of Brazil, chaired the Commission. The Commission’s unique convening power allowed it to focus on high-impact issues of HIV and the law, which have important ramifi cations for global health and development. The Commission advocated for evidence and human rights based legal environments for eff ective and effi cient HIV responses. The life experiences of the Commissioners gave them a formidable ability to access a wide cross-section of society. This means they are well placed to infl uence change on complex issues that require the engagement of multiple stakeholders across a range of sectors. ABOUT THE GLOBAL COMMISSION ON HIV AND THE LAW Fernando Henrique Cardoso (Brazil)