Stephen Lewis

Co-Director

Mr. Stephen Lewis is the co-founder and co-director of AIDS-Free World.

Stephen Lewis’ 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 1995 to 1999, Mr. Lewis was Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF at the organization’s global headquarters in New York.  From 1984 through 1988, he was Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations.

In addition to his work with AIDS-Free World, Mr. Lewis is the co-founder and board co-chair of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

Mr. Lewis is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Clinton Health Access Initiative and Emeritus Board Member of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.  He served as a Commissioner on the Global Commission on HIV & the Law.

Stephen Lewis is a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest honor for lifetime achievement.  In 2007, King Letsie III, monarch of the Kingdom of Lesotho (a small mountainous country in Southern Africa) invested Mr. Lewis as Knight Commander of the Most Dignified Order of Moshoeshoe.  The order is named for the founder of Lesotho; the knighthood is the country’s highest honor. 

Mr. Lewis is the author of the best-selling book, Race Against Time.  He holds 42 honorary doctorates: 39 from Canadian universities, plus degrees from Dartmouth College, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Miami in the United States. 

Contact Stephen: info@aidsfreeworld.org