Feature story

UNAIDS and The Global Fund sign cooperation agreement

03 June 2008

20080603_sign_200.jpg
UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot (L)
and Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director
of The Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and
Malaria (R) after signing the Memorandum
of Understanding. Kampala, Uganda on
June 3 2008.
Photo credit: UNAIDS/M.Mugisha

UNAIDS* and The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria signed in Uganda a revised Memorandum of Understanding which renews a commitment for a coordinated response to AIDS and it serves as an umbrella framework to strategically guide their partnership to strengthen support to national AIDS responses.

The development of the present agreement, which has been revised and approved by the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board and the Board of The Global Fund, is based on an analysis of the current situation and a clear definition of the complementary roles of UNAIDS and The Global Fund.

Through this Memorandum of Understanding, The Global Fund and UNAIDS will collaborate to strengthen the global response to the AIDS epidemic and to accelerate progress towards universal access and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The current agreement focuses on three core activity areas:

1.- Strategic analysis and policy advice
2.- Provision of technical support
3.- Monitoring and evaluation.

Therefore, by signing this agreement, they intend to improve national AIDS responses by financing evidence-based country proposals, providing technical support to countries, support development of National Strategic Plans, improve M&E systems or build capacity of national stakeholders.

The overarching objectives upon which this agreement was developed are:

  1. To move towards achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010
  2. Empowering inclusive national leadership and ownership
  3. Improving aid effectiveness through financing national plans, consolidating grants, and defining shared monitoring indicators with major partners
  4. Increase advocacy and partnerships to ensure high level political support and a multi-sectoral approach for a comprehensive response to AIDS.


 *The term UNAIDS refers to the Secretariat and its ten Cosponsors. The engagement of UNAIDS cosponsoring agencies with The Global Fund Secretariat, however, is not limited to the provisions of the present Memorandum of Understanding and not all Cosponsors are necessarily involved in every and all UNAIDS activities covered by this MoU. UNAIDS Secretariat and relevant Cosponsors will develop in partnership with The Global Fund follow-up operational arrangements under the framework of this Memorandum of Understanding.