Stephen Lewis

As a Canadian politician, diplomat and international envoy for humanitarian efforts, Stephen Lewis has dedicated himself to improving the human condition.

Formerly the Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Stephen Lewis is Chair of the Board of the Stephen Lewis Foundation in Canada, Distinguished Visiting Professor at Ryerson University in Toronto, and Co-Director of AIDS-Free World, an international AIDS advocacy organization based in the United States.

Mr. Lewis is a member of the Board of Directors of the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI). He also serves as a Commissioner on the newly formed Global Commission on HIV and the Law, created by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the support of the Joint United Nations Programme of HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

Stephen Lewis’ work with the United Nations spanned more than two decades. He served as the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa from June 2001 until the end of 2006. From 1995 to 1999, Mr. Lewis was Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF at the organization’s global headquarters in New York. From 1984 through 1988, Stephen Lewis was Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations.

Mr. Lewis is the author of the best-selling book Race Against Time. He holds 34 honorary degrees from Canadian universities and is a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest honour for lifetime achievement.

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