Peter van Rooijen Honoured for Outstanding Service

Author:

David Garmaise

Article Type:

Article Number: 8

ABSTRACT Peter van Rooijen, who currently heads International Civil Society Support, has been honoured by the Dutch royal family for outstanding service to the community.

Peter van Rooijen, a prominent international AIDS activist and leader in global health, has been honoured by the Dutch royal family. Peter has been appointed Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau, an award bestowed for outstanding service to the community.

Peter has been working in HIV/AIDS for 32 years. Since 2006, he has headed International Civil Society Support (ICCS), an organisation that he founded. ICCS facilitates a partnership of 11 global civil society and community HIV networks. Peter also leads the Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN), which brings together more than 300 individuals and organisations in support of resource mobilisation for the Global Fund.

Peter’s involvement in HIV/AIDS work began in 1984, when he started as a volunteer, and then worked as a psychotherapist and director of Care Services at the Schorer Foundation in the Netherlands.

In 1992, Peter started working for the Dutch National Committee on AIDS Control, an advisory committee to the government. He was subsequently appointed as Director of Aids Fonds, an organisation that supports HIV/AIDS activities in the Netherlands and scientific research and access to treatment in developing countries.

Peter served as Executive Director of Aids Fonds from 1993–2005 and initiated “STOP AIDS NOW!”, a joint initiative with four other development agencies aimed at boosting the Netherlands’ international response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

From 2005 to 2007, Peter served on the Board of the Global Fund as a member representing developed country NGOs. In that capacity, he was also a member and later Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee. He is still actively involved in the work of the delegation.

Peter received the award from the Dutch Minister for International Trade and Development Cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen, at a ceremony on 1 June in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Mabel.

“I am honored and humbled by this award, which is a tribute to the work of many, many people who have contributed to the enormous progress that has been made in fighting HIV/AIDS,” Peter said.

Information for this article was taken from a post on the website of HIV Vereniging Nederland, and from a Global Fund news release.