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PRES: There's a change at the helm of UNAIDS today. Peter Piot who has led the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS since its inception in 1995 is leaving his post and is succeeded by Michel Sidibé. At the recent meeting of the Programme Coordinating Board they both shared their thoughts on the past and the future of UNAIDS. Bissera Kostova reports.

NARR: Peter Piot, the Belgian scientist and medical doctor, who led UNAIDS for 13 years, said he is leaving the programme, but not the AIDS cause, in which he was involved since its very beginning in the 1980s. In a one-hour speech, which he called his "swan song", Dr. Piot gave an incisive analysis of the AIDS epidemic during his tenure, often focusing on the difficulties. He said the spread of AIDS was underestimated: In 1996 20 million people were living with HIV, today there are 33 million.

Peter Piot of UNAIDS

Piot: Secondly, we underestimated the extent to which stigma, discrimination, human rights violations, and gender inequality would remain formidable obstacles to tackling the epidemic-even after the introduction and wide availability of antiretroviral therapy. And this is still underestimated. I still hear people saying: "We don't have to worry about gender. "We don't have to worry about human rights."

NARR: According to Peter Piot one of the biggest mistakes, which is just starting to be overcome in the AIDS arena is that people with HIV were not part of the discussion. At the same time, Dr. Piot acknowledged that some formidable obstacles have been overcome. The anti-retroviral treatment devised for AIDS was a medical breakthrough in treating viral infections, and the scaling up of AIDS funding into the billions of dollars has made this lifesaving treatment accessible to 4 million people in the developing world. To illustrate the magnitude of these achievements, Dr. Piot borrowed a slogan from the Beijing Paralympics: Impossible is Nothing.

Piot: And that is actually what I think we have proved with the AIDS movement: Impossible is nothing. We should continue along these lines. Never wait until systems are fixed. Fight bad politics, because they kill people. And support good politics, because they save lives.

NARR: The Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, who was chosen to take over from Dr. Piot paid tribute to him.

Michel Sidibé

Sidibe: UNAIDS has come a long way under the excellent leadership of Peter Piot, my boss. In my village when you have been the boss once, you are always the boss. Peter recognized the necessity and power of cooperation as he reached out to diverse constituencies affected by the epidemic. He led UNAIDS and the global response with passion and vision. Let me applaud you for what you have done for the world. (applause)

NARR: Mr. Sidibé, who joined UNAIDS in 2001 is an economist from Mali and previously worked for UNICEF in Africa. He said he takes up his position as Executive Director at a critical time. In setting his goals, he quoted former UNICEF Executive Director James Grant:

Sidibe: "Our morality must march in step with our growing capacity for doing good." I will do everything in my power to bring about an AIDS reversal - where less people become infected than are put on treatment.

NARR: Michel Sidibé, appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on December 1st, takes on the post of Executive Director of UNAIDS on January 1st 2009. Reporting for UN Radio, I'm Bissera Kostova.

Duration: 4'05"