The organisers of the Fifteenth International AIDS Conference are inviting visitors to aidsmap.com to submit questions to world leaders from the spheres of government, business, religion, entertainment and community mobilisation against AIDS between now and Sunday July 11th.
In particular, visitors to this site are encouraged to ask leaders how leadership in responses to the epidemic can be improved, and where the greatest efforts need to be made. Visitors are also encouraged to put questions about the current status of the epidemic.
This year’s conference was to have hosted a Leader's summit with heads of state from 13 countries plus UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, but the meeting was cancelled by the Thai government due to lack of interest, according to the Bangkok Post.
However a Leadership Forum, designed to focus attention on the role of leadership in all sectors of society, will still go ahead.
Leadership statements will be drawn up by participants across many sectors, and will set targets for the next two years.
The Bangkok Leadership Statement will serve as a key tool for monitoring and accountability for the global response until the 2006 International AIDS Conference, where a progress report will be provided on the commitments made in Bangkok. Beginning with the Bangkok conference, the Leadership Programme will become a permanent feature of the International AIDS Conference.
“Meet the Leaders” is a special series of open-house forums that will gather world leaders from across sectors, governments, industries, sciences, entertainment, and media to answer specific questions about the current state of the fight against HIV/AIDS and the tangible changes leadership can make to this struggle.
The Leadership Programme Committee now invites your questions on the fight against HIV/AIDS for these special sessions. Some of the leaders answering your questions will be:
- Graca Machel (Leadership Program Patron)
- HRH Rattana-Devi Norodom, (Chief of International Relations Department, Cambodia)
- Richard Gere (Founder of the Gere Foundation, USA)
- Zackie Achmat (Chairperson, Treatment Action Campaign, South Africa)
- Dr. Alongkot Dikkapanya (Dramaraksananivesana Project, Wat Phra Baht Nam Phu, Thailand)
- Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. (Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, USA)
- Kate Thompson (Founder of Int’l Community of Women with HIV/AIDS)
- Hank McKinnell (Chairman of the Board and CEO of Pfizer Pharm. Group)
Mail your questions to: leadership@aidsthai2004.org. Each question will be read and considered for use in the open-house forum sessions, “Meet the Leaders” on Monday, July 12th, and Wednesday, July 14th at the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand.