[procaare] AIDS Fund to Launch New Search for Leader

["Boston Globe" <procaare@healthnet.org>]

AIDS Fund to launch new search for leader
By John Donnelly, Globe Staff | November 3, 2006
Source:HEALTHGAP Digest - 3 Nov 2006 to 4 Nov 2006 (#2006-274)
*************


[*Mod note: As per the Boston Globe report below, seems that Michel Sidibe 
was the preferred candidate of the developing countries, and Michel 
Kazatchkine by the developed nations although the US backed Sidibe also. ]


WASHINGTON -- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will 
launch a new search for an executive director after board members failed to 
agree on one of two finalists in marathon meetings this week in Guatemala 
City. The decision, reached late Wednesday, means that the organization will 
probably not have a new leader for several more months, perhaps not until 
the board's next scheduled meeting in April, officials said.  The contract 
of the fund's current director, Richard Feachem, ends in March.

The international fund, which has distributed several billion dollars to 
fight the three infectious diseases, faces several critical issues in the 
coming months, including securing additional funding and trying to improve 
poorly performing grants.

Closed discussions on Tuesday and Wednesday narrowed the field to two 
candidates, Michel Sidibe of Mali, a senior official at UNAIDS, and Michel 
Kazatchkine , France's HIV/AIDS ambassador, according to participants who 
asked not to be identified.

Under the board's rules, the executive director must win support of seven of 
10 members from developed countries as well as seven of 10 members from 
developing nations. Sidibe won support from developing countries, but could 
not secure the necessary votes from rich nations, although the United States
backed him, participants said.  Kazatchkine received enough support from the 
rich countries, but not enough from developing nations, they said.

Three others earlier in the running were Hilde Johnson , Norway's former 
minister of international development; US Representative Jim Kolbe , an
Arizona Republican not seeking reelection; and Bill Roedy , president of MTV 
Networks International .

Steven Radelet , a senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank Center 
for Global Development , which recently produced a report on new challenges 
facing the fund, said the failure to elect a new leader "is not good for the 
organization," but added that "trying to force through one candidate 
wouldn't be good, either."

During the meeting, the fund's board approved $604 million in new grants to 
fight the three infectious diseases, bringing the fund's portfolio to $6.4 
billion in programs in 135 countries.