STEPHEN
LEWIS
On June 01, 2001,
UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan appointed
Stephen Lewis as
his Special Envoy for
HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Photo credit: Joshua Berson Photography, 2001
Mr.
Lewis’ work with the UN has shaped the past two decades of his
career. From 1995 to 1999, Mr. Lewis was Deputy Executive Director
of UNICEF at the organization’s global headquarters in New York.
He was first appointed as Special Representative for UNICEF in 1990.
In that capacity, he spoke and travelled regularly, acting as a spokesperson
for UNICEF's passionate advocacy of the rights and needs of children,
especially children of the developing world.
In 1997, in addition to his work at UNICEF, Mr. Lewis was appointed by the Organization
of African Unity to a Panel of Eminent Personalities to Investigate the Genocide
in Rwanda. The ‘Rwanda Report’ was issued in June of 2000.
In 1993, he became coordinator for the international study -- known as the Graca
Machel study -- on the "Consequences of Armed Conflict on Children".
The report was tabled in the United Nations in 1995.
From 1984 through 1988, Stephen Lewis was Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations.
In this capacity, he chaired the Committee that drafted the Five-Year UN Programme
on African Economic Recovery. He also chaired the first International Conference
on Climate Change, which drew up the first comprehensive policy on global warming.
Prior to his nomination as Ambassador, Mr. Lewis was a noted radio and television
commentator, and during this time he also became a prominent labor relations
arbitrator.
In the 1960s
and 1970s, Stephen Lewis was an elected representative to the Ontario
Legislature, becoming leader of the New Democratic Party and leader
of the Official Opposition.
Mr. Lewis holds 18 honorary degrees from Canadian universities. And in 2003,
he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest honour
for lifetime achievement.
Stephen Lewis is married to Michele Landsberg, feminist columnist with the Toronto
Star; they have three grown children; Ilana, Avi and Jenny.
Recently, Mr. Lewis created the Stephen Lewis Foundation (www.stephenlewisfoundation.org)
to help ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa.