Brief History

The Special Envoys of the United Nations Secretary-General for AIDS are individuals specially selected by the United Nations Secretary-General to help advance the AIDS agenda in the regions they cover.  Their role is to advance the AIDS agenda on a global level and ensure that AIDS is kept high as a political priority within their respective regions of responsibility and operation.

Working with a wide range of partners, including Governments and civil society, Special envoys mobilize and strengthen responses in many countries.  In particular, they have been instrumental in advocacy on issues related to women and AIDS, championing the greater involvement of people living with AIDS in national responses and promoting support from the private sector.

The Special Envoys have accepted to take on the role of AIDS advocates at the request of the UN Secretary-General. While their primary relationship remains with the Secretary-General, the Special Envoys work in collaboration with, and are assisted by the UNAIDS Secretariat.

Elizabeth Mataka is Africa’s second Special Envoy for AIDS and was appointed in May 2007. She brings to the table almost 20 years of HIV and AIDS advocacy experience from the civil society sector. Elizabeth Mataka is also a Botswanan national who is resident in Zambia, both countries have HIV prevalence levels which are amongst the highest in the world. Having experienced the epidemic in Africa first hand from its enigmatic start to its devastating present, she is dedicated to ensuring that HIV and AIDS remains high on the political agenda.

UN Secretary General’s Terms of Reference

The special envoys for AIDS in Africa are mandated to:

Promote the implementation of the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/ and AIDS and the 2006 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS throughout Africa, though close collaboration with partners such as African Union and Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other sub-regional groups on HIV and AIDS.

Meet with high level government officials as requested by the Secretary General or the UNAIDS Executive Director to promote key issues, advocate for an expanded multi-sectoral response or resolve specific problems or concerns.

Represent the Secretary General and /or the UNAIDS Executive Director at key events of meetings related to HIV.

Special note from Africa’s Special Envoy

Elizabeth Mataka Speaks:

"As a woman coming from the world’s most AIDS-affected region Africa, I can speak with credibility about the epidemic, its impact on families, communities, individuals and on our overall development agenda.

I can identify with the suffering because I have, as everyone has in this region, lost relatives, friends and workmates to AIDS. Having interacted with people affected by AIDS in many ways, I can advocate based on real-life experience. In this regard I continuously speak of the need for government to introduce social safety-nets for poor people and advocate that good nutrition should be regarded as an integral part of treatment.

Coming from a civil society background, I know the strength, capacity, commitment and dedication of civil society. I also have first hand experience in civil society leadership and how it can pioneer the response to AIDS as it is acknowledged to have done in Zambia for instance. I can therefore be an effective advocate for meaningful civil society involvement.

I see my role as an advocate to promote key issues on AIDS and for the implementation of the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV and AIDS in Africa. I also represent the UN Secretary-General and/or UNAIDS Executive Director at key events or meetings related to HIV. Along with the UN Teams on AIDS and UN Resident Coordinators I seek to promote the most effective ways to support expanded national responses.

Additionally, I have decided to make the following issues the focus of my work during my tenure of office:

• Empowerment of women and girls. This will cover economic empowerment, legal and social empowerment by ensuring that commitments made in Beijing by all governments are adhered to.
• Universal access to HIV prevention, care treatment and support., all these aspects to move together. Insuring implementation and evaluation is kept up.
• Meaningful engagement of nongovernmental, community and faith based organisations in AIDS responses by advocating for sustained leadership against HIV and AIDS. 
• Advocating for more resources for resource-constrained countries. Helping where it counts according to needs of such countries, specified by stakeholders of that country.