ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the conditions that have both hampered and facilitated African state influence on recent international acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) agreements. It focuses on the commonalities among African states in the global arena. The chapter concentrates on the Declaration of Commitment on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS signed at the 2001 United Nation General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS. It provides information on the UNGASS and Global Fund in the larger context of a growing political commitment to AIDS. The chapter illustrates how aspects of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the Global Fund are in tandem with the overarching policy preferences and international concerns of African states. It demonstrates how the nature of the African state shaped its role in these recent international agreements. The chapter discusses that the African state's reliance on donors, international organizations, and international nongovernmental organizations hindered Africa's ability to shape the process of building these agreements.
