AUSTRALIA TO SUPPORT SIDIBE FOR UNAIDS EXECUTIVE

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000979 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/T AND EAP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNGA EAID KHIV ML AS SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA TO SUPPORT SIDIBE FOR UNAIDS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REF: A. CANBERRA 964 ¶B. ROBERTS-CROWLEY E-MAIL OF 9/23/08 ¶C. STATE 97114 ¶1. (SBU) Nicole Forrester, Executive Officer for the United Nations and Commonwealth Section, advised poloff on September 26 that Australia would support Malian candidate Michel Sidibe as its top priority candidate for the UNAIDS Executive Director position, followed by Debrework Zewdie of Ethiopia as its next preference. Australia had no clear third preference candidate, ranking Stefano Bertozzi and Tim Barnett as equal. ¶2. (SBU) The GOA decision was based purely on the merits of the candidates' credentials, according to Forrester, and followed an interagency review that included representatives from AusAID, the Department of Health and Ageing, and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Forrester thanked the U.S. for its thorough response to GOA questions on new short-listed candidates following the initial demarche (ref B). MCCALLUM