| The US Global AIDS Plan |
Read The Lancet editorial: Appointment of PEPFAR Head should be merit-based
The Honorable Hillary Clinton
Secretary of State
Department of State
2201 C St, NW
Washington, DC 20520
26 January 2009
Dear Secretary Clinton,
As you know, US assistance on AIDS is unique in terms of scale and accomplishment. Its connectedness with a complex array of other actors both within U.S. development assistance and with among other bilateral donors and multilateral agencies mean that the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator is a singularly important appointment.
Therefore we are writing to you as representatives of the AIDS community to request that, instead of immediately moving to fill the position vacated by Ambassador Mark Dybul, you instead pursue a innovative, competitive, merit based process for selection of the next head of OGAC. In an expedited manner, we recommend you convene a multi- stakeholder committee comprising US government representatives, implementers and civil society, to identify top candidates for the position. This selection committee could consider a range of critical qualifications, for example, experience implementing HIV prevention and treatment programs and a demonstrated commitment to involving affected communities, including people with HIV, at all levels of program activity.
This committee would work with your office in determining the next OGAC Director. Through such a process, the Administration would back up its refreshing commitment to openness, transparency, and change with concrete action.
As you know, this is the manner in which NIH selected the first and second directors of the Office of AIDS Research (OAR), after the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993. Harold Varmus convened a search committee who reviewed candidates and who selected Bill Paul (in 1994) and later Neal Nathanson (in 1998).
We are confident you could convene a search committee in less than two weeks and that by March that committee could recommend a candidate or candidates to your office.
Sincerely,
- ACT UP New York
- ACT UP Paris
- ACT UP Philadelphia
- ActionAid International Uganda
- Africa Action
- African Civil Society Coalition on HIV/AIDS
- African Council of AIDS Service Organizations (AfriCASO)
- Aid for AIDS International
- AIDS Action Baltimore
- AIDS Action Europe
- AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA)
- AIDS Treatment News
- American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
- American Medical Students Association (AMSA)
- Americans for Informed Democracy (AID)
- Asian Pacific Council for AIDS Service Organizations (APCASO)
- Association of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (ASWHAN)
- Beijing Aizhixing Institute, China
- Buds of Christ, India
- Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition
- Centre for Health Policy and Innovation, Canada
- Child Foundation of India
- Christian Relief and Development Association, Ethiopia
- CEJES-Cameroon
- Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), Philadelphia
- Coalition on Children Affected by AIDS
- Coalition PLUS
- Communication for Development Centre, Nigeria
- Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP)
- Community Initiative for Tuberculosis, HIV and Malaria, Zambia
- Consortium to Respond Effectively to the AIDS/TB Epidemic (CREATE), Baltimore
- Consultative Group on Early Childcare and Development in Canada
- DC Fights Back
- European AIDS Treatment Group
- Family Care International
- Foundation for Integrative AIDS Research (FIAR)
- François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) USA
- Fundación Nimehuatzin - Nicaragua
- Georgetown Medical AIDS Advocacy Network (GMAAN)
- Gestos- Soropositividade, Comunicação e Gênero, Brazil
- Global Action for Children
- Global AIDS Alliance
- Global Health Advocates
- God's House International, Sierra Leone
- Goodwill Aid, Ghana
- Gram Bharati Samiti (GBS), India
- Harvard Global Health and AIDS Coalition
- Health GAP (Global Access Project)
- HIV/AIDS Task Force, Ohio
- HIV Collaborative Fund for Women & Families in Africa
- Hope Care Foundation, Ghana
- Horizons Femmes, Cameroon
- Ikonzo Musanda Self Help Group, Kenya
- International Civil Society Support, The Netherlands
- International Community of Women living with HIV/AIDS, East Africa
- International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)
- International Federation of Medical Students Association
- Intersect Worldwide, India
- Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS), Nigeria
- Kenya AIDS Intervention Prevention Project Group
- Kenya Youth Programme
- L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
- Latin American and the Caribbean Council of AIDS Service Organizations (LACCASO)
- LitWorld
- Mercy Investment Program
- Misbah, India
- MOPGEL
- Mutifaith Development and Research Centre, Kenya
- Network of People Living with HIV, Ghana
- New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN)
- NextAid
- Ohioma Foundation for Development (OFUD)
- Partners in Population and Development, Bangladesh
- Pittsburgh Student Global AIDS Project (Pitt SGAP)
- Positive Life Association of Nigeria (PLAN)
- Positive Women Empowerment Response (POWER), Nigeria
- Prevention Project Group
- Proyecto Sol Filadelphia
- Reach Out NGO, Cameroon
- RESULTS
- SisterLove
- SPURTHI, India
- Street Works
- Strength for All, Ghana
- Student Global AIDS Campaign
- Swedish Cooperative Centre, Kenya
- The Health Equity Project
- The Vineeta Foundation
- Treatment Action Group (TAG)
- Treatment Action Movement, Nigeria
- Ukimwi Orphans Assistance
- United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
- Universities Allies for Essential Medicines
- Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk, U.S. Province
- Vermont Global Health Coalition
- Viva AIDS Forum
- Wemos International, The Netherlands
- Who’s Positive
cc: Senator John Kerry, Chair, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Senator Richard G. Lugar
Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff
Melody Barnes, White House Director of Domestic Policy
Dr. Susan E. Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Tina Chen, Director, Office of Public Liaison
Denis McDonough, Foreign Policy Advisor
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