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Canada Stephen Lewis is a distinguished Canadian politician, diplomat, author, and public speaker, recognized for his extensive work in international affairs and social justice, particularly regarding HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Profile: Stephen Lewis | Nature Medicine: In a roomful of stuffy diplomats, Stephen Lewis stands out for his powerful rhetoric and punchy humor ... Partnerships & Services · Media ...
Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF from 1995 to 1999.
In 2007, Stephen Lewis and long-time colleague Paula Donovan co-founded AIDS-Free World, a non-profit organization that advocates for more effective global responses to HIV and AIDS.
Stephen is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Clinton Health Access Initiative.
Emeritus Board Member of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.
Served as a Commissioner on the Global Commission on HIV and the Law.
Stephen Lewis’s work with the United Nations spanned more than two decades. He was the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa from June 2001 until the end of 2006. From 1984 through 1988, he was Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations.
In May 2006, Lewis joined the Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University as a scholar-in-residence.
In 2006, he was elected a senior fellow of Massey College in the University of Toronto.
He was also a distinguished visiting professor at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University).
Among his current roles, he is a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on the Social Determinants of Health.
A senior advisor to Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
Stephen Henry Lewis, politician, diplomat, author, journalist, labour arbitrator (b at Ottawa 11 Nov 1937), son of David LEWIS.
Stephen Henry Lewis was born in Ottawa on November 11, 1937, to David and Sophie Lewis. His early life involved teaching English in Africa, an experience that later influenced his career. He served as the director of organization for the federal New Democratic Party from 1961 to 1962. Lewis was elected as a member of the Ontario legislature for Scarborough West in 1963, a position he held until 1978. In 1970, he became the leader of the Ontario NDP. His tenure as leader saw the NDP achieve significant electoral success in 1975, becoming the Official Opposition in Ontario. A year after an electoral setback in 1977, Lewis resigned from his leadership role and transitioned into media commentary, lecturing, and labour arbitration.
In 1984, the Brian Mulroney government appointed Lewis as Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, where he served until 1988. Following this, he was a special advisor to the UN’s Secretary-General concerning African affairs until 1991. He returned to the UN as deputy executive director of UNICEF from 1995 to 1999. In 1997, the Organization of African Unity appointed him to a panel investigating the Rwandan genocide, which issued a report in 2000. From 2001 to 2006, Lewis served as a special envoy to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for HIV/AIDS in Africa, bringing global attention to the pandemic.
Lewis’s commitment to fighting the AIDS pandemic in Africa led him to establish the Stephen Lewis Foundation. He also delivered the CBC Massey lectures in 2005, which were published as the best-selling book, “Race Against Time.” His distinguished public service has been recognized with numerous honors, including his appointment as a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2002 and the Pearson Peace medal in 2004. He has held roles with the World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on the Social Determinants of Health and as a senior advisor to Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. In 2007, he co-founded AIDS-Free World, an organization advocating for more effective global responses to HIV and AIDS.
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