Michael Sidibe, the executive director of the United Nations' body spearheading the fight against AIDS, has announced that he is stepping down from the position.
The decision was made a week after an independent panel had probed accusations of bullying and sexual harassment within the agency. A report published last week accused Sidibe of "defective leadership."
At a meeting in Geneva this week, Sidibe said he will step down in June, six months before his term is supposed to end in January 2020.
Culture Of Harassment At UNAIDS
"The UNAIDS Secretariat is in crisis, a crisis which threatens its vital work," the report read. "The leaders, policies and processes at UNAIDS have failed to prevent or properly respond to allegations of harassment including sexual harassment, bullying and abuse of power in UNAIDS."
The panel revealed that the leadership within the agency has failed to ensure a safe and dignified working environment for its staff, many of whom revealed that they were afraid to speak up because of fear and lack of trust. The panel also found that the formal and informal processes for complaints are slow, infective, non-confidential, and not independent from the management.
While the investigation recognized Sidibe's passion and commitment to his work, the independent panel called out his "patriarchal management style" that allowed the culture of impunity to foster within the agency. Sidibe was appointed as the executive director of UNAIDS in 2009.
Backlash, Bullying Scandal Hit UNAIDS
After the report had been published, the backlash was immediate. Activists called for Sidibe's immediate resignation from the agency.
Paula Donovan, co-director of AIDS-Free World, said that Sidibe should not be allowed to leave his position on his own terms. She added that leaders involved in a similar scandal should be fired from any other institution.
"This is the culmination of the abuse of power and authority that has marked Sidibe's tenure," she added. "The culture of impunity remains intact."
Following the report, Sweden, a major donor of UNAIDS, announced that it will withhold its funding for 2019. Swedish International Development Cooperation Minister Isabella Lovin also joined the group of people demanding that Sidibe should be removed as the head of the agency.
