Press statement

UNAIDS welcomes appointment of new UNICEF Executive Director


Geneva, 17 March, 2010 — The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomes the appointment of Mr Anthony Lake as Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Mr. Lake was national security advisor to former U.S. President Bill Clinton and has had a long and highly respected career in the U.S. Government. He is currently a Distinguished Professor at Georgetown University. In addition, he has served on the Board of the US Fund for UNICEF and will start his new position on 1 May, 2010.

“I look forward to working closely with Mr Lake on our shared goals of ensuring countries reach their universal access goals for children and adolescents in HIV prevention, treatment, care and support,” said Mr Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “And a big part of this will be working together to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV.”

UNAIDS also thanks the leadership and contributions of outgoing UNICEF Executive Director Ms Ann M.Veneman.

UNICEF is a Cosponsor of UNAIDS and has been a leading organization for children, working in 158 countries to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The organization focuses its HIV response on four priority areas: prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; paediatric HIV care and treatment; protection, care and support for children affected by AIDS; and HIV prevention among adolescents and young people.


Press centre

Cosponsors

UNICEF