1996 he was appointed the first executive director of unaids by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. He was chosen partly for his scientific knowledge, but also for his political insight. He often meets political leaders whom he has to convince of the need for radical action, and his diplomatic talents are a considerable help.
unaids is based in Geneva; with 180 staff and a budget (in 2000-01) of $140 million it is not a large un organisation. Nevertheless, it has succeeded in getting Aids onto the political agenda of such important meetings as those of the G8, G77 and the European Union.
In June 2001 an assembly of the un met especially to discuss Aids. It was the first time the un had organised this sort of meeting to deal with a health problem. In late 2001 there was also an international conference in Dakar, organised by France to discuss access to medicines to combat Aids. At the September 2001 Racism Conference at Durban in South Africa Piot complained that Aids sufferers laboured under an excessive burden of shame and fear. He also explicitly linked the disease to racism, poverty, intolerance and inequality. In his view, the hiv epidemic is the tragedy of the twenty-first century. Piot has received several awards for his efforts and consistent action. In 1995 he was honoured with the title of baron by King Albert ii of Belgium. In October 2000 he was elected one of the 56 foreign members of the American Institute of Medicine. Probably his finest award is the one he received before the start of the Durban conference. It was there that he was handed the Mandela Award by Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Annan praised Piot because he ‘brings to this fight a blend of authority and commitment that only comes from long and first-hand experience. He has rightly pointed out that half-measures do not work against this epidemic’. In his speech of thanks Piot said that millions of dollars are needed every year for the poorer countries and that a Fund for Aids Control, which is soon to be set up, is intended to help the countries most affected.
Peter Piot sees Aids as one of the world's most important problems, but he is absolutely convinced that a solution does exist. If we do not believe that, he thinks, his work is pointless.
dirk van assche
Translated by Gregory Ball.
www.unaids.org