UNAIDS: The First 10 Years

UNAIDS The First 10 Years136In July 2001, at the G8 meeting in Genoa,heads of state of Canada, France, Germany,Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, theUK and the USA, as well as the EuropeanCommission, unanimously affirmed theirsupport for the Global Fund and expressedtheir determination to make it operationalas soon as possible.In 2001, the Executive Director of UNAIDStold the PCB that “this year will be rememberedas one of the most significant in thehistory of the epidemic. For the first time,the global perspective joins care for thoseinfected to the task of ensuring thosenot infected remain so. It is a year whenresources are coming, and when politicalleadership is at unprecedented levels …”.While not solely responsible for any ofthese events or policy developments, theJoint Programme played a critical – oftencatalytic – role in bringing them about.Over the next two years, UNAIDS wouldbuild on the successes, to which it hadcontributed, of 2000-2001. The birth of theGlobal Fund would eventually ensure more resources for developing countries. The FiveYear Evaluation of UNAIDS cited many achievements but called for major, and necessary,improvements in country-level work. So 2002 would see a signifi cant change in focus forthe organization.AIDS Quilt presentationat the UNGASS in NewYork (from left to right)UNAIDS ExecutiveDirector Peter Piot; formerUnited Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan;UNGASS President HarriHolkeri of Finland; andMrs Nan Annan.UNAIDS/R. Bowman