The Ministerial Council On HIV/AIDS

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Annual Report April 1, 2004 - March 31, 2005

3.0 Ministerial Council' s vision, mandate, roles and objectives

Vision : In order to build a society that can eradicate HIV/AIDS, the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS believes that: empowerment of all communities affected by HIV/AIDS; respect for dignity and human rights; cultural development; and knowledge are the keys to success. The Ministerial Council will listen to and advise on policy and practices to ensure success.

Mandate: To provide advice to the Minister of Health on pan-Canadian aspects of HIV/AIDS.

Role: To ensure that current and emerging issues regarding HIV/AIDS are being adequately addressed.

Objectives:

• to identify and prioritize current and emerging issues of the HIV/AIDS epidemic
• to communicate the priority issues of the HIV/AIDS epidemic to the Minister
• to shift priorities when appropriate as new issues emerge.

Role: To be visionary in providing long-term directions.

Objectives:

• to identify the possible long-term consequences of existing trends and policy on the Canadian HIV/AIDS epidemic
• to provide long-term direction regarding the Canadian HIV/AIDS epidemic
• to advise on the federal government's process of partner and stakeholder consultation in the development of long-term HIV/AIDS strategies and directions.

Role: To monitor and evaluate the implementation of the federal response to HIV/AIDS and to support its effectiveness and its flexibility to meet changing circumstances.

Objectives:

• to periodically review and provide advice regarding the resource allocation within the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada
• to regularly review and monitor financial expenditures under the Federal Initiative
• to recommend allocation of unspent funds as appropriate
• to monitor and provide advice regarding evaluation processes
• to review and provide advice regarding the annual progress reports.

Other considerations: The Council has also developed its role in advising on issues beyond the federal government. The Council has a role to play in issues that may lie within the jurisdiction of provinces and territories. In playing this role, the Council encourages the federal Minister of Health to champion these issues with his or her provincial and territorial counterparts. The Council's advice focuses on the federal role in federal/provincial/territorial issues and on encouraging all levels of government to work together productively.

The international aspect of HIV/AIDS is also an important component of the federal response to HIV/AIDS. The Council has a role to play in giving advice to the Minister on international issues both because these issues have a direct impact on Canada and because Canada has international responsibilities. The Council also provides advice on inter-departmental linkages related to international issues.

The role and composition of the Ministerial Council is currently being reviewed in the light of the establishment of the new Public Health Agency of Canada and the renewed frameworks for a pan-Canadian response to HIV/AIDS.

• See Appendix 1 for the Ministerial Council's Terms of Reference.

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