The Global Fund Strategy is a multi-year reference for the Fund’s strategic direction, setting out priorities for how it supports responses against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria and contribute to improving global health. More than halfway through the Strategy 2017-2022, the Global Fund has now started the process for developing the next Strategy.
The importance of the new Strategy cannot be overemphasized: Global Fund is the biggest multilateral funding source for HIV, TB, and malaria; it has placed, and funded, community, rights, and gender (CRG) approaches as cornerstone essential elements of effective responses against the three diseases. In the Strategy 2017-2022, “Promote and protect human rights,” and “build resilient and sustainable systems for health” figure as two out of the four highest strategic objectives set, and this has been due in main part to the strong advocacy by communities and civil society, including from the Asia-Pacific region, in the strategy development processes then. The next Strategy will, same as the previous ones, impact on the lives of key, vulnerable and marginalised communities which the Global Fund was built to serve. It is crucial, and but right, that these communities are supported to weigh in and help shape this upcoming and all other future strategies of the Global Fund.
The Global Fund has launched its online Strategy Open Consultation from 29 May 2020 and “strongly encourage all stakeholders to contribute to this open consultation by identifying the most pressing challenges and opportunities in the fight against the three diseases; building resilient and sustainable systems for health; promoting and protecting human rights and gender equality; and mobilizing resources. We also want your views as to how these priorities are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and broader changes in the health and development landscape.” The consultation presents a series of framing questions to be addressed by any interested respondent onsite, or emailed in various languages to the Global Fund. Input received through the open consultation will inform discussions and decision-making by the Global Fund’s Strategy Committee and Board. The Global Fund Secretariat will consolidate input received through the open consultation and post periodic updates of stakeholder feedback on its webpage. The final strategy document will be approved by the Board at the end of 2021.
For its part, APCASO – as a regional network of health, rights and social justice community and civil society organisations working to advance the rights of communities most in need, and as the host of the Asia-Pacific Community, Rights, and Gender (APCRG) communication and coordination platform for the Global Fund – is taking the lead in supporting effective community and civil society engagement and input in the strategy development process from the region.
Below is an outline of the objectives, strategies, and activities to be rolled out by APCASO related to the development of the new Global Fund Strategy. All these are planned to be done in collaboration with APCASO in-country community and civil society partners, and regional HIV, TB, and malaria key population or advocacy networks.
Engagement plan objectives
Overall, the APCASO/APCRG engagement plan aims to support effective engagement and input of Asia-Pacific community and civil society in the development of the new Global Fund Strategy. With the engagement plan, APCASO/APCRG specifically aims to:
- Support dissemination and utilisation by Asia-Pacific communities and civil society of information on or related to the Global Fund strategy development
- Facilitate in-country and regional level community and civil society mobilisation, organising, and consultations leading to strengthened inputs into the Strategy
- Lead the development of a regional community and civil society positions statement on the topic
The PLAN
ENGAGE! ENGAGE! ENGAGE!
The Global Fund has launched a Strategy Open Consultation on its website, which will open until the end of 2020. The first round of input received by 1 September 2020 was presented at the Global Fund Board’s Strategy Committee in October 2020, and the second round will inform the preparations and materials for the 6th Partnership Forums, which will convene from 02 February to 15 March 2021.
APCASO, as the host of the Asia-Pacific CRG Platform in collaboration with the Global Fund Advocates Network – Asia-Pacific (GFAN AP) and regional networks, the Activists Coalition on TB – Asia Pacific (ACT! AP), Regional Malaria CSO Platform GMS, Asian Network of People who Use Drugs (ANPUD), the Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV (APN+), Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW), the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN), the International Community of Women living with HIV (ICW) Asia Pacific, Youth LEAD, and Youth Voices Count recently convened a virtual regional community and civil society consultation to have the voices of communities heard and reflected in the new Global Fund Strategy.
Watch this space as we update you on the status of the Asia-Pacific regional position statement that will be developed by the Engagement Team and the regional networks!
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION MATERIALS
