The Eurasian Harm Reduction Association is happy to present its new publication “Getting to know the Civil Society and Eastern Europe and Central Asia Delegations to the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. An Information note for Eastern Europe and Central Asia”. The publication is developed within the project of the EECA Regional Platform for Communication and Coordination.

This Information Note is an easy-to-use document which allows for greater understanding of the work and role of the Communities, Developed Country NGO, Developing Country NGOs and the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) Delegations to the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The EECA Delegation is dedicated to the causes and concerns of the region, both from a public sector and civil society perspective. The other three Delegations have specific mandates to bring to the Board the issues of civil society and all the communities of persons living with, and affected by, the three diseases in those countries eligible for Global Fund support.

Whilst there are four distinct Delegations, these Global Fund Board representatives have similar practices for their internal functioning and in consulting with civil society and communities as well as established opportunities to engage with them. This document provides information concerning these key practices and opportunities and we hope that communities and civil society organizations (CSO’s) in the EECA region will be able to use this document to better plan and coordinate their advocacy efforts and engage with their representatives to the Fund at the most opportune times and in strategic ways.

Membership in one of the Delegations to the Global Fund Board is a good opportunity to positively influence the decisions that are important for the EECA region and for key and vulnerable populations in it. Unfortunately, at present, NGOs and communities from the EECA region are underrepresented in the four Delegations being considered within this Information Note. We hope that this Note will encourage more civil society representatives from the EECA region to apply for membership in these Delegations and for others to become more involved in communicating with the Acting Members of the Delegations. Our engagement in these structures will help to ensure that the interests and voices of civil society in the EECA region are heard by the Global Fund Board for their consideration.

The Info Note is targeted on the representatives of the civil society and affected communities from EECA region but the information presented in it could be of interest for the civil society and communities’ representatives from other regions as well.

An Information note for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.