UNAIDS PCB NGO delegation communique

[Posted on sea-aids electronic forum, 09 October 2008]

What happened in the PCB meeting in Geneva on October 2nd?

The Extraordinary meeting was dedicated entirely to the discussion of the next executive director of UNAIDS. The PCB heard the report of the Search Committee and discussed the top four candidates for the position of Executive Director of UNAIDS. The Search Committee noted that the main issue in its work was the limited number of highly-qualified candidates.

The four candidates are: Tim Barnett, Stefano Bertozzi, Michel Sidibe, Debrework Zewdie

The top tiered candidates: Debrawerk Zwedie of Ethiopia and currently at the World Bank, and Michel Sidibe, originally of Mali and currently at UNAIDS, were supported by various Member States. The majority of support went to Michel Sidibe.

The PCB NGO Delegation supported the candidacy of Michel Sidibe and cited the following key reasons:

• His strong leadership and managerial skills
• His operational, field level experience as well as international experience, giving him a global picture
• His knowledge of UNAIDS, as well as the key UN bodies and stakeholders
• His involvement with Universal Access and the Three Ones
• His vision of UNAIDS, which includes GIPA and human rights
• His understanding for the need for AIDS exceptionality in the next phase of UNAIDS
• His ability to incorporate changes from the current independent evaluation of UNAIDS
• His willingness and ability to work with civil society as key to a successful response

What happened before the meeting?

The PCB NGO Delegation had two members on the search committee, engaged in the selection and interviews of the candidates. Those two members, Gracia Violeta Ross and Zonibel Woods signed a code of confidentiality and therefore could not share information with the delegation or with wider civil society.

The report of the search committee was shared confidentially with PCB members and the NGO Delegation one week before the meeting in Geneva. At this time, the NGO delegates discussed the candidates with their constituents and undertook a limited consultation with key networks in order to gauge support for the candidates. Respondents supported Sidibe and provided some points for the delegates in the meeting.

What happens next?

The report goes to the Committee of Co-sponsors, who will meet on October 8th and then interview the four candidates. Their report will then go to the Secretary General on October 24rd. The SG is not obligated to pick from this list of candidates, although he should normally respect the intentions of the PCB as expressed in the meeting report and Co-sponsors report. He will normally make a decision by the end of the year.

What can I do?

You can express your support for a candidate by lobbying your own government and/or by writing to the Secretary General.

How can I get more information?

The get more information on the ED, the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board or the NGO Delegation, please contact the Communications Facility at pcbcf.ssimon@gmail.com or pcbcf.ggray@gmail.com.

Reminder: What is the PCB again?

The Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) is the governing body of UNAIDS. It is made up of 22 voting Member States, the 10 Co-sponsors that make up the UNAIDS program, and 10 representatives of non-governmental organizations (one delegate and one alternate from 5 regions). For more details, including all background papers, you can visit this .