Invitation: Civil Society Participation in the Governance of Global Fund at the country level

[Guest guest]

Invitation

Civil Society Participation in the Governance of Global Fund at the country

level

A regional consultation to identify the gaps in promoting good governance on

GFATM grants in Asia, by Asian Peoples' Alliance for Combating HIV and AIDS

(APACHA): Dates : March 27th and 28th 2010 Bangkok.

INVITATION

Call for speakers and participants. The conference organizers would like to

invite participations and speakers to attend this consultation

A. The Context

The Global Fund is a unique global public/private partnership dedicated to

attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS,

tuberculosis and malaria. This partnership between governments, civil society,

the private sector and affected communities represents a new approach to

international health financing. The Global Fund works in close collaboration

with other bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing

efforts dealing with the three diseases.

Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund for AIDS, TB, and Malaria (GFATM)

has become the main source of finance for programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis

and malaria, with an approved funding of US$ 18.7 billion for more than 572

programs in 140 countries.

It provides a quarter of all international financing for AIDS globally,

two-thirds for tuberculosis and three quarters for malaria.

Some of the recent experiences with some of the country level governance of

GFATM grants (Philippines , Myanmar ) indicate the terrible cost of lack of

robust, country level governance systems for the GFATM grants on the service

delivery and the outcome of treatment options of several thousand people

infected and affected by AIDS, Tb and Malaria.

Global Fund endeavor to be transparent and accountable regarding fund

disbursement and implementation of the projects. The Country Coordination

Mechanism (CCM) is the main body trying to ensure participation of government

and non government authorities (civil society) as well as the external

development partners present in the country. In several cases CCM is controlled

by either Governments or the Principal Recipients (PR), the question arise, is

it enough meaningful participation of the civil society? Often, the bidding

process also leave behind the participation of grass root origination or civil

society organization.

Numbers of countries in the Asian region are getting support from The Global

Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). If we look at the scenario

of each country, the funding on HIV & AIDS is the one that is most talked about

and most debated. In almost all of the countries in the region, civil society

actors, those who are not participated in the CCM, regularly raise questions

about the transparency and governance of the Global Fund grant implementation.

It has also been observed that in numbers of countries the civil society

organizations or networks, which are not the part of CCM, are almost always

overlooked while making decisions about the GFATM grant and all the decision

making process are confined within the CCM and its members.

B. Promoting good governance at the country level; A critical gap in GFATM

response.

APACHA being the largest peoples' alliance in Asia has raised its voices in

several countries to adopt the process of good governance which can ensure

transparency and accountably.

APACHA has identified a critical gap in the GFATM architecture of its response,

lack of specific efforts for promoting good governance in its fund management at

the country level.

Based on our care full analysis and observation, APACHA do believe that there is

a need for concerted efforts to promote good governance of CCM, PR, SR, LFA,

CBO, NGO and INGOs who are part of GF's country level governance architecture

APACHA do believe that a failure in the good governance of GFATM has severe

opportunity cost to HIV response and the survival outcome of people infected and

affected by HIV, Tb and Malaria.

So we realized and felt the need of a multi sectoral initiatives to join our

hand to talk about effective governance system through which we would be able to

get a transparent way of GF working and accountability towards people for whom

we do exist.

C. Sentinel role of civil society in ensuring and promoting good governance at

the country level GFATM response

For the Asia Region, civil society organizations, mainly the people's networks

active in the region are playing a major role in ensuring that the Global Fund

grant in the region and its implementation generates effective results.

The networks could play observers role, more like a watchdog role. For most of

the conventions and covenants of the UN, civil society organizations and

networks play role of critical evaluators drafting shadow reports for different

countries. Similar kind of role can be thought of for civil society

organizations that are not the part of GFATM process. It would further

strengthen the role of GFATM grant in different countries through more effective

implementation and response.

In this context APACHA call for an Asia regional meeting of the actors,

implementers and civil society networks of Asia to discuss about various aspects

of promoting good governance at the country try level GFATM response.

D. Objective of the meeting

To ensure more effective way of promoting good governance for implementation of

Global Fund grant in the Asian region through participation of regional civil

society and people's network in the process

E. Proposed Agenda ( Speakers are invited to send their expression of interest

to speak at any of the following issues, themes)

1. Review of the Governance of Global Fund grants in different Asian countries

2. Review of the Governance mechanism of CCM, PR, SR, LFA, CBO, NGO and INGOs

party to GFATM grant in countries

3. Identifying country level best practices in promoting good governance (NGO

code of conduct, ISO accreditation etc)

4. Discussion on adopting a process and practical action for ensuring greater

transparency and accountability through involvement of civil society groups.

5. Finding out the role for civil society organizations, other than CCM members,

in the Global Fund grant process.

F. Participants of the Meeting

- Regional civil society organizations/ networks

- Representatives of CCM, PR, SR, LFA, NGO, CBO, INGO who are part of GFATM

country level architecture

- People's Health Networks

- PLHIV Networks

- UN organizations

- Other International NGOs

- GFATM representatives (Including civil society rep on the GFATM Board)

- APACHA representatives

- Invited technical experts

G. Dates :March 27th and 28th 2010

H. Venue: Bangkok

I. Registration fee: US$ 100

J. For further details please contact

Mr. Mohammad Kamal Hossain

International Coordinator, Asian Peoples' Alliance for Combating HIV and AIDS

(APACHA):

APACHA Secretariat, Kathmandu , Nepal

E-mail: secretariat.asia@...

Kamal.hossain@ apachanet.org

www.apachanet.org