ROBERT CARR FUND ANNUAL REPORT 2017
From Invisibility to Indivisibility
For civil society networks
1 Acknowledgements
Author: Danielle Parsons Graphic Design: Studio Odilo Girod Photography: sarahdona.com
2 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Executive Summary
The Robert Carr Fund for civil society networks is the first international pooled funding mechanism which specifically aims to strengthen global and regional HIV civil society and community networks around the world. It was founded in 2012, and honors the life and work of the late Robert Carr.
The Robert Carr Fund invests in global and regional civil society networks addressing critical factors in protecting the rights of inadequately served populations (ISPs) 1; scaling up access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support; and assuring that resources are mobilized and utilized appropriately to respond to the global HIV epidemic. The ultimate goal of the Fund is to contribute to improved health, inclusion and social wellbeing for ISPs. To reach this goal, the Robert Carr Fund provides core funding to strengthen the institutional and advocacy capacity of regional and global ISP and civil society networks and/or their consortia. By investing in core and strategic costs to build the organizational and advocacy capacity of networks, the Robert Carr Fund builds the foundation for civil society networks to influence environments, decisions, and key processes, polices and practices that define access of ISPs to health, justice and resources and to ultimately give ISP communities a voice in the global HIV response.
In 2017, the Fund adopted a new monitoring and evaluation for learning (MEL) framework, which measures both environmental conditions and outcomes related to grant funding. This report is the first consolidation of findings and results captured by this new framework, measuring major grantee accomplishments for the reporting period of 2016-2017.
Building Institutional Capacity The reporting period revealed an environment with some significant threats to ISP networks as institutions, including enforcement of Foreign Agent policies in Eastern and Central Europe, government pressure to close organizations in the Middle East, as well as closing civil society space in the West and threats to funding for sexual and reproductive health programming. In a handful of countries, severe physical security threats were noted, and staff of some organizations reported arbitrary surveillance and harassment. In the face of these challenging conditions, grantees made significant progress, with some such as the HIV Justice Network and Eurasian Key Populations Network (EKHN) achieving registration, and others such as members of the Peers 2 Zero Coalition (P2Z) and the Asia-Pacific Transgender Network (APTN) growing their staff size significantly.
Others, such as the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD, Consortium of Networks of People who Use Drugs), utilized Robert Carr Funds to achieve critical organizational improvement, training management staff and developing quality and accountability systems.
1 ISPs are groups or persons that face a higher HIV risk, mortality and/or morbidity when compared to the general population, and have, at the same time, less access to information and services. They include people living with HIV, gay men and other men who have sex with men, people who use drugs, prisoners, sex workers and transgender persons, but depending on the dynamic of the epidemic and the legal status of these populations may also include women and girls, youth, migrants, and people living in rural areas.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 Several grantees, including INERELA+, the Canadian National Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization (HIV Justice Global Consortium), the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (Eurasian Regional Consortium and Harm Reduction Consortium), and the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC-ARASA Consortium) were able to leverage Robert Carr Funds to successfully generate additional funding from other donors.
Grantees, such as those of the Positive Networks Consortium (PNC+), also utilized Robert Carr Fund support to achieve improved representative governance, assuring that boards were democratically elected; and members of the Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks developed regional advocacy plans to drive movements across countries.
Influencing Protection of ISP Rights While 44% of networks reported progress related to policy and legislation around ISP rights during the reporting period, 26% reported no change (which, in many cases meant continued struggles against harmful policies or legislation), and 33% reported regress in the environment. And yet grantees had considerable achievements to report, from the implementation of the Shared Incidents Database by the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) leading to the documentation of over one thousand rights violations and seven current legal challenges; to an international campaign led by the Consortium of Networks of People who Use Drugs in response to gross human rights violations and extrajudicial killings in the Philippines; to progress on gender identity laws in Latin America as a result of advocacy by REDLACTRANS.
Influencing ISP Access to Services While about 20% of networks reported some regress in ISP access to services, nearly half of net- works reported some progress. Grantees contributed to progress through generation of credible evidence, such as ITPC West Africa’s (ITPC-ARASA Consortium) treatment needs mapping and the African Men for Sexual Health and Rights’ (AMSHeR, Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks) development of an African Key Populations Scorecard to hold governments to account for their performance against global guidance. Several networks worked to improve quality of services, as well, through development of or training on “implementation tools,” commonly known as the SWIT, MSMIT, TRANSIT and I-DUIT. Yet others reported achieving important improvements to quality of services as a result of their advocacy, including increased access to routine viral load testing in Dominican Republic, Peru and Honduras (ITPC; ITPC-ARASA Consortium); and effective sensitization of hospital staff that has resulted in improved services for trans women (REDLACTRANS) and migrants (CARAM Asia) in Latin America and Asia, respectively.
Influencing Resources for ISPs A limited number of grantees are currently engaging in this important area of work, though those who are, are gaining traction. Despite trends of reducing funding from the Global Fund and other external funding sources, there are some indications of increasing government awareness of need for domestic funds. Grantees have worked alongside these trends to contribute to momentum, including the development of a Budget Advocacy Community Guide, the production of reports on funding trends such as The Global State of Harm Reduction Funding by Harm Reduction International (Harm Reduction Consortium), and MSMGF’s (Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks) conducted monitoring of global spending on HIV and advocated for increased investment into ISP communities. These efforts will be on display at AIDS 2018, through a joint advocacy campaign targeting the sustainability of financing and overcoming barriers to services for all ISPs, put on by the Eurasian Regional Consortium, together with other regional community networks.
4 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Value of Core Funding from the Robert Carr Fund The heart of the Robert Carr Fund approach is to provide core funding, which allows networks to grow in unique and responsive ways. The value of building institutional capacity, tailored to each network’s needs, is that networks become more resilient and better able to influence environments, decisions, and key processes, polices and practices that define access of ISPs to health, justice and resources (see Figure 2: Virtuous Cycle of Influencing from Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building to Movement-building and Positive Change). During the 2016-2107 reporting period, this was best exemplified through:
• Building bridges from global messages and guidance down to the grassroots level, assuring that communities on the ground understand and can actively participate in important issues. Grantees accomplished this by conducting trainings on the SWIT (Sex Worker Networks Consortium); developing guidance and tools on institutional gender policies (EKHN); holding dialogues on gender-based violence against women and girls living with HIV (INERELA+); developing a faith-based, stigma-reducing manual for caregivers of PLHIV (IAM); and empowering communities to understand issues related to sustainability, transition, and budget advocacy (Eurasian Regional Consortium). These activities were all made possible through support for staff positions or strategic activity funding, provided by the Robert Carr Fund.
• Amplifying voices by listening to and working with communities on the front lines, to ‘connect the dots’ to raise issues that are either emerging or have long been neglected by decision- makers or funders. This occurred through grantee-led research on youth perceptions of emer- ging technologies like PrEP and self-testing (ICW) and building capacity at the community level to assure that transgender people have the tools to participate and advocate at the local level (REDLACTRANS). Grantees also helped to build the core institutional capacity of their member- ship, such as through support for a planning, strategy and governance meeting for EuroNPUD (Harm Reduction Consortium). It is the flexibility of Robert Carr Funding which allows these matters to be addressed, filling critical gaps which go unaddressed by other funders.
• Generating momentum by consolidating experience and evidence from the local level up to the regional and global level. Grantees accomplished this by working with the Global Fund to adapt and integrate the Clinic-CBO Collaboration Toolkit alongside their programming (P2Z); raising the need for recognition of migrants as a high-risk population at national and regional levels (CARAM Asia); and consolidating learning and bringing to highlight human rights violations on the regional level through the Shared Incident Database (CVC). There were also key situations in which regional-level momentum was particularly important – specifically in environments of severe threat, such as the Philippines and Cambodia, raising the issue of human rights violations and mobilization of the regional and global community to react to local concerns was a safer alternative to conducting direct, local advocacy.
• Uniting and solidifying for change by building global-level movements and partnership, and advocating for change at the highest levels. Grantees played this role in a variety of ways, from participation in the UNAIDS PCB (PNC+); to driving agendas at and beyond the UN High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS (Consortium of MSM Transgender Networks) and UNGASS on Drugs (Harm Reduction Consortium); building new alliances across global movements and partners to protect the human rights of sex workers, including the full decriminalization of sex work (Sex Worker Networks Consortium); and creating new venues for uniting on specific issues, such as the Chapter on Younger Women and Girls within ICW.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 6 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Grantees also used Robert Carr Funds to catalyze additional funding on specific and emerging issues. From the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s support to combat criminalization of HIV (HIV Justice Global Consortium); to funding from the Global Fund Community, Rights and Gender (CRG) Special Initiative to host the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional CRG Platform (Eurasian Harm Reduction Association); to a regional Global Fund Grant to International Treatment Preparedness Coalition in West Africa to build capacity of communities to monitor HIV care and services through a regional treatment observatory across 11 countries in West Africa, grantees are putting their staff and systems to work in generating additional funds to support and advance their valuable work.
And when the funds from other donors arrive, the absorptive capacity is there for rapid growth and program scale-up. Growing networks such as the Eurasian Coalition on Male Health and REDLACTRANS, and mature networks such as International Treatment Preparedness Coalition among others, became the Principal Recipients of regional Global Fund grants.
Learning Through Production of this Report In the spirit of monitoring and evaluating for learning (MEL), the production of this report has itself been part of a critical learning process for the Robert Carr Fund. The information in this report was generated from analysis of MEL reporting data and annual narrative reports produced by each Robert Carr Fund grantee. However, an instrumental part of this report’s production was the annual Collective Impact Reflections Workshop, held in Amsterdam on 13-15 May with participation from members of the Robert Carr Fund collective, including grantees, funding partners, members of the International Steering Committee and Program Advisory Panel, as well as the Robert Carr Fund Secretariat. At this workshop, the collective reviewed early analysis of MEL reporting data, but also engaged in collective reflection on both their operations during the reporting period and also use of the MEL framework for the first time.
From this reflection came some key learning points for the Robert Carr Fund Secretariat and the collective as a whole:
▸ Consistency in reporting requirements is important to allow for planning and to reduce administrative burden.
▸ Some refinements are still needed within the MEL tools.
▸ Story-telling is an art, and both inspiration and freedom are necessary.
▸ Opportunities still exist to better connect grantees within the collective.
Conclusion By supporting networks to grow their key staff through core funding, to build their financial and operational systems, and to increase their technical capacity, Robert Carr Fund contributes to sustaining well-organized and capacitated HIV civil society and community networks and helps activate the virtuous cycle of influence that fuses the divides between global, regional and local actors – an indispensable role of networks to achieve local impact through global and regional action on human rights and health of inadequately served populations.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 8 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Foreword
The challenges faced by the Robert Carr Fund collective in pursuing shared objectives of strengthening the operational capacity of networks and consortia in their quest to promote the human rights and improve HIV outcomes of inadequately served populations (ISPs) are daunting. It is clear that achieving human rights and health for the populations that face exclusion is a long-term vision as it involves struggling against stigma and discrimination that have become entrenched in societies.
The focus of the Fund is to strengthen the core functions of HIV civil society and community networks so that they achieve sustainability and growth based on financial security and strong governance functions. The Fund supports regional and global networks and their consortia in democratic governance, representing all members of the inadequately served populations. The Fund is very strong in promoting alliances among the ISPs at country, regional and global levels as the achievement of their human rights requires strong partnerships among various movements. Not only must HIV and human rights issues be addressed through policy and legislative changes but also at the community, neighborhood and family levels where stigma and discrimination is practiced.
It is well known that such stigma and discrimination is society’s way of dealing with persons who fall outside the norm of society. Changing this discriminatory attitude is a long struggle that requires strategic thinking and tactics that use opportunities to achieve the desired attitudinal changes. The evidence is clear that maintaining such legislative and attitudinal changes is a conti- nuous struggle as changes in government leadership can result in policy changes that erase gains.
The values promoted by my son, Robert Carr, throughout his life aimed at securing the human rights of marginalized groups at all levels of society. He would remind those with national power of their obligations under global human rights declarations, which their governments had signed, to ensure that these rights are provided to all citizens. He advocated speaking truth to power and that these truths must be based on rigorous research. He also was strong in promoting networks of organizations representing ISPs and creating or strengthening alliances among such organizations in pursuit of their common goals. For him strengthening the leadership functions of such ISP organizations was essential for their success. Continuous leadership building and succession planning within these organizations was critical for their sustainability.
This report, prepared by the Robert Carr Fund, documents the work of the Fund, in partnership with its grantees, to promote the health and human rights of ISPs throughout the world. It covers the achievements of its programs and the ongoing challenges faced. Above all, it attests to the Fund’s strong commitment to developing the capacity of ISP organizations to manage their programs in a democratic and representative framework that will promote the human rights of ISPs and create an enabling environment that will sustain and expand access to health services.
Peter Carr
FOREWORD 9 “… AIDS response can’t work unless civil society has the funds and the resources to move…” Robert Carr
10 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Contents
Executive Summary 3 ...... Foreword 9 ...... 1. Purpose of This Report 13 1.1 What is the Robert Carr Fund? 13 1.2 In what and in whom does the Robert Carr Fund invest? 14 1.3 How does the Fund measure its work? 17 ...... 2. Building Institutional and Advocacy Capacity 21 2.1 How free are ISP and civil society networks to operate and advocate? 21 2.2 How are networks operating and advocating in restrictive environments? 25 2.3 How sustainable are networks? 27 2.4 How are networks building movements and engaging their constituencies? 29 2.5 How influential are networks in bringing about change for ISPs? 30 2.5.1 What did grantees learn about building institutional and advocacy capacity? 31 ...... 3. Influencing Protection of ISP Rights 33 3.1 What was the state of social, policy and legal environments related to ISP rights? 33 3.2 How did networks positively influence the legal, policy and social environment 35 that protects ISP rights? 3.2.1 What did grantees learn about influencing a more enabling, rights-affirming social, 37 policy, and legal environment for ISPs? ...... 4. Influencing ISP access to quality services 41 4.1 What was the state of access to rights-based, quality HIV services for ISPs? 41 4.2 How did networks positively influence access to HIV services? 43 4.3 How did networks positively influence the quality of rights-based HIV services? 44 4.3.1 What did networks learn about influencing ISP access to rights-based, quality HIV services? 46 ...... 5. Influencing Resources for ISPs 47 5.1 What was the resource environment like for ISP services and programs? 47 5.2 How did networks contribute to increased resource availability and accountability? 49 5.2.1 What did grantees learn about influencing availability and accountability of resources for ISPs? 49 ...... 6. Value of Core Funding From the Robert Carr Fund 51 6.1 Building Institutional Capacity through Core Funding 51 6.2 Leveraging Additional Resources to Fuel the Virtuous Cycle 53 ...... 7. Learning Through Production of this Report 55 ...... 8. Conclusion 57 ...... 9. Financial report 58 ...... 10. ANNEX 1: ROBERT CARR FUND’S THEORY OF CHANGE 61 ...... 11. ANNEX 2: ROBERT CARR FUND’S 2016-2018 GRANTEE OVERVIEW 62 ...... 12. ANNEX 3: RISKS AND RISK MITIGATION 64
CONTENTS 11 Abbreviations
AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency IDPC International Drug Policy Consortium Syndrome INPUD International Network of People ANPUD Asian Network of People who Use Drugs who Use Drugs IRGT Global Network of Transgender APTN Asia Pacific Transgender Network Women and HIV ARASA AIDS Rights Alliance of ISP Inadequately Served Populations Southern Africa Consortium ITPC International Treatment Preparedness ARV Antiretrovirals Coalition AY+ African Young Positives Network LAC Latin America and the Caribbean A/YPLHIV Adolescent and Young People LGBTQI Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Living with HIV Queer and Intersex CARAM Asia Coordination of Action Research MEL Monitoring and Evaluation for Learning on AIDS and Mobility Asia MENA Middle East and North Africa CCM Country Coordinating Mechanisms MENAHRA Middle East and North Africa CFM Corruption, Fraud and Mismanagement Harm Reduction Association CRG Community, Rights and Gender MSM Men who have Sex with Men CRN+ Caribbean Regional Network of NGO Non-Governmental Organizations People Living with HIV OST Opioid Substitution Therapy CSO Civil Society Organizations P2Z Peers 2 Zero CVC Caribbean Vulnerable Communities PATA Pediatric-Adolescent Treatment Africa Coalition PEPFAR United States President’s Emergency ODA Official Development Assistance Plan for AIDS Relief ECOM Eurasian Coalition on Male Health PLHIV People Living with HIV ECUO East Europe and Central Asian Union PNC+ Positive Networks Consortium of People Living with HIV PrEP Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis EECA Eastern Europe and Central Asia PWUD People Who Use Drugs EHRA Eurasian Harm Reduction Association REDLACTRANS Red Latinamericana y del Caribe EKHN East Europe Key Populations de personas trans Health Network SALC Southern African Litigation Centre ENPUD Eurasian Network of People who SID Shared Incident Database Use Drugs SRHR Sexual and Reproductive Health EuroNPUD European Network of People who and Rights Use Drugs STI Sexually Transmitted Infections EWNA Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS SW Sex Workers GNP+ Global Network of People Living UNAIDS United Nations Joint Programme with HIV on HIV/AIDS HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus UNFPA United Nations Population Fund IAM Inclusive and Affirming Ministries UNGASS United Nations General Assembly ICRSE International Committee on the Special Session Rights of Sex Workers in Europe UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund ICW International Community of UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs Women Living with HIV and Crime ICWCARR ICW Caribbean WHO World Health Organization ICWAP ICW Asia Pacific
12 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 1. Purpose of This Report
1.1 What is the Robert Carr Fund?
The Robert Carr Fund for civil Such opportunities are critical to unite allies and society networks is the first build movements, as well as to strengthen institutional capacity – all of which contributes to sustainability international pooled funding of the HIV response. As technical, intellectual mechanism which specifically aims and emotional capital of communities is pooled to strengthen global and regional through these networks for greater impact, so too are funding partners’ financial resources pooled HIV civil society and community through the Fund (see Figure 1 on the next page networks around the world. It was and Section 9: Financial Report). founded in 2012, and honors the life and work of the late Robert Carr.
The Robert Carr Fund invests in global and regional civil society networks addressing critical factors in protecting the rights of inadequately served popu- lations (ISPs)2; scaling up access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support; and assuring that resources are mobilized and utilized appropriately to respond to the global HIV epidemic. The ultimate goal of the Fund is to contribute to improved health, inclusion and social wellbeing for ISPs. To reach this goal, the Robert Carr Fund provides core funding to strengthen the institutional and advocacy capacity of regional and global ISP and civil society networks and/or their consortia.
The linkages across and within the collective of the Robert Carr Fund grantees – who are often consortia of global and regional networks – hold the potential for fostering, catalyzing and facilitating collabora- tions, learning and exchange of best practices. Dr. Robert Carr.
2 ISPs are groups or persons that face a higher HIV risk, mortality and/or morbidity when compared to the general population, and have, at the same time, less access to information and services. They include people living with HIV, gay men and other men who have sex with men, people who use drugs, prisoners, sex workers and transgender persons, but depending on the dynamic of the epidemic and the legal status of these populations may also include women and girls, youth, migrants, and people living in rural areas.
PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT 13 Figure 1: Funding Partner's Contributions to the RCF Pool - 2016-2018 (USD $28.2 million)
The UK government Department for
$ 2,7 M International Development (DFID) 9% $ 6,7 M The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 24% $ 4,5 M 16% The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) via the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS
$ 1,9 M (UNAIDS) $ 3 M 7% 11% Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
The Norwegian Agency for Development $ 9,3 M Coorperation (Norad) 33% The Global Fund to fight AIDS Malaria and Tuberculosis (2016)
1.2 In what and in whom does the Robert Carr Fund invest?
The Fund’s institutional focus is on By investing in core and strategic costs to build recognition of networks’ critical value the organizational and advocacy capacity of networks, the Robert Carr Fund builds the and contribution to ensuring access of foundation for civil society networks to do the ISPs to health, justice and resources, work that drives the Virtuous Cycle and ultimately as networks have unique reach into and gives ISP communities a voice in the global HIV impact at community level, but also response. The role of core and strategic activity funding – and therefore of the Robert Carr Fund’s have the ability to affect change at the investments – in the Virtuous Cycle during this regional and global level. This unique reporting period is discussed in further detail in value of networks is illustrated by the the later sections of this report. Virtuous Cycle (see Figure 2).
14 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Over the last five years of operation, the Robert Carr 11. Consortium of Networks of People who Use Drugs Fund has pooled funds from five funding partners to 12. Peers 2 Zero (P2Z) support the core and strategic costs of more than 13. Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM) 60 regional and global networks. In 2016-2018, the 14. International Community of Women Living with Robert Carr Fund grantees included (see Annex 2 for HIV (ICW) details): 15. Eurasian Key Population Health Network (EKHN) 16. Caribbean Vulnerable Communities 1. International Treatment Preparedness Coalition Coalition (CVC) and AIDS Rights Alliance of Southern Africa Con- 17. Red Latinamericana y del Caribe de personas sortium (ITPC-ARASA) trans (REDLACTRANS) 2. Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks 18. Coordination of Action Research on AIDS and 3. Sex Worker Networks Consortium Mobility Asia (CARAM Asia) 4. Eurasian Regional Consortium 5. Harm Reduction Consortium Through these 18 grantees, the majority of which are 6. HIV Justice Global Consortium consortia inclusive of a total of 59 networks, have 7. Positive Network Consortium (PNC+) been supported with core and activity funding in 8. Consortium of Networks led by Young People 2016-2018, demonstrating diverse geographic and 9. INERELA+ population coverage (See Figures 3 and 4). 10. Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN)
Figure 2: Virtuous Cycle of Influencing from Institutional Strengthening 1. Uniting & Solidifying and Capacity Building to 2. Building for Change Bridges Movement-building and Positive Change Institutional Strength & Capacity
1. Uniting & Solidifying 4. Generating 3. Amplifying for Change Momentum Voices Networks build global-level movement and partnerships. Engaging in dialogue and advocacy for global change.
2. Building 3. Amplifying 4. Generating Bridges Voices Momentum Networks adapt global messages Networks work directly with Networks consolidate community for local realitises. Disseminating members to build capacity, and experiences & evidence. Generating global documents & frameworks, help to generate evidence for regional or global messaging and translating and adapting to context. use in learning and advocacy. campaigns to drive progressive agendas.
PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT 15 Figure 3: 2016-2017 Grantee Activity Expenditure per ISP
2% 2% People living with HIV
Sex workers 9% People who use drugs 31% 11% Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, MSM, Queer
1% Transgender and Intersex
10% Prisoners
Women and Girls who are ISP 10% 13% Youth who are ISP 11% Migrants who are ISP
People living in rural areas
Figure 4: 2016-2017 Grantee Activity Expenditure per Region
Eastern and Southern Africa 6% 20% West and Central Africa
16% Asia and Pacific
Eastern Europe and Central Asia 11% Latin America and the Caribbean
Middle East and North Africa 23% 24%
16 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 1.3. How does the Fund measure its work?
The Robert Carr Fund conducts its This is done through a series of environmental and work according to its organizational outcome indicators, which are linked to each other as shown in Table 1. Theory of Change (see Annex 1):
All indicators are measured in matrix format, by The Fund believes that providing core and strategic which grantees can select a gradation which funding strengthens the institutional and advoca- most appropriately reflects their experience. cy capacity of regional and global networks and Environmental indicators (EI) are measured consortia that work with ISPs, and that if these according to level of changed experienced (major networks – through which ISPs can find legitimate or minor regress, no change, and minor or major representation for decisions that affect them – progress), while outcome indicators (OI) are are stronger, it will enable ISP groups to have more measured by level of achievement (levels 1-4) influence over their human rights and health. which are carefully described with metrics for each indicator. Full details on the Fund’s MEL Sustained influence from ISPs with regards to HIV framework are available on the Robert Carr Fund and human rights issues at global, regional and website. national levels will result in a more enabling and Accounting for the diversity of grantees and their rights-affirming social, policy and legal environment membership, not all indicators below are obligatory. for ISPs, along with more accessible and appropriate The left-hand column of Table 1 indicates how many quality HIV services and programs, and the corre- grantees reported on each indicator during the sponding available resources to create better con- 2016-2017 reporting period. ditions for ISPs with regards to HIV.
If the human rights of ISPs are realized, and they have access to better HIV services, and there is appropriate resourcing to underpin the necessary services, it is believed that ISPs across the globe can have better health, inclusion and social wellbeing.
Change along this continuum is measured by a tailored system for monitoring and evaluation for learning (MEL) to track the unique work of the Robert Carr Fund. Recognizing the immense impact of environ- mental factors on ISP networks, the Fund measures not only the outcomes achieved by grantees during a reporting period, but also environmental changes – both progress and regress – in order to have a more complete perspective on grantee accomplishments.
PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT 17 Table 1: RCF Grantees Reporting in 2017 - Environmental and Outcome Indicators
# of Grantees Reporting Institutional Capacity Indicators
Building Institutional and Advocacy Capacity
18 EI 1: The legal and policy framework allows for freedom of association for ISP/civil society networks, including their right to establish/register and operate as non-profit/ non-governmental entities without discrimination.
18 O1: Number of networks with improved basic organizational status.
18 O2: Number of networks showing increased fiscal capacity and sustainability.
18 E2: ISP/civil society networks experience freedom of expression without harassment by government and other influential entities.
18 O3: Number of networks more representative of their constituencies and more democratically governed.
18 O4: Number of networks showing increased influence and capacity to unite and mobilize movements.
# of Grantees Reporting Influencing Indicators
Influencing Protection of ISPs Rights
E3: ISP rights are protected by policy and/or legislation, which is enforced 14 and allows for effective redress of violations.
16 OI5: Number of networks contributing to an improved human rights environment for at least one ISP.
Influencing Access of ISPs to Quality HIV services
13 EI4: ISP experience full access to rights-based, quality HIV services.
11 O16: Number of networks contributing to increased access to HIV services and programs.
12 O17: Number of networks contributing to increased quality of HIV programs and services.
Influencing Resources for ISPs
9 E15: The funding environment allows for sufficient allocation of resources for HIV prevention, testing, care, treatment.
10 E16: The funding environment allows for sufficient allocation of resources for advocacy and other supportive enabling environment programming for ISPs.
3 O18: Number of networks contributing to increased and sustainable financing of HIV response including ISP programs.
3 O19: Number of networks contributing to improved HIV-related fiscal accountability.
18 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 PURPOSE OF THIS RAPPORT 19 20 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 2. Building Institutional and Advocacy Capacity
Institutional capacity – both for strong, sustainable organizational operations and for advocacy and influencing to affect change – are critical to networks’ ability to achieve impact. The Robert Carr Fund intentionally provides core funding for networks to invest in the growth that is needed to achieve this capacity. But networks function within complex legal, political, and social environments, which can impact their ability to grow and thrive. This section explores what that environment is like, and how the Robert Carr Fund supported the growth of institutional capacity within the reporting period.
2.1 Under the new MEL framework, grantees reported on How free are ISP and the environments in which they operate with regards to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, civil society networks in order to give perspective to individual network to operate and progress during the 2016-2017 reporting period. Freedom of Assembly advocate? The years of 2016 and 2017 brought some positive changes in legal and policy frameworks for civil socie- ty in general. One third (33%) of all networks support- Networks, as civil society organiza- ed by the Robert Carr Fund reported some progress tions, are subject to restrictions and on the environment related to freedom of assembly. regulations imposed by the countries • In Mozambique, the Constitutional Council struck in which they operate. Networks down a law which had been used as an excuse not to register a member of the Consortium of MSM that serve ISPs, in particular, may and Transgender Networks. be subject to additional formal or • Nicaragua became the third country in Central informal scrutiny, due to criminaliza- America to formally recognize a sex workers’ union 3, tion, stigmatization and discrimination a change that is the result of over a decade of directed at ISPs. advocacy by local organization Girasoles (Sex Worker Networks Consortium), and underpinned by the community’s belief that a union is the best way
3 http://www.nswp.org/news/nicaragua-labour-ministry-formally-recognises-sex-worker-union
BUILDING INSTITUTIONAL AND ADVOCACY CAPACITY 21 to “denounce the constant violations of their human had to revisit and re-evaluate their engagement in rights, for being women and being sex workers.” sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) work due to the reinstatement and expansion of • Within the global HIV response, there were the Global Gag Rule in the United States.6 positive developments in the engagement of civil society groups (including networks of people who • The Dutch Reformed Church revoked a use drugs) in key international fora such as the previously very inclusive policy on LGBTQI UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board and the clergy and gay marriages. UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs – building on progress made at the High-Level Meeting on HIV/ The most alarming regressions relate to rising safety AIDS and the UN General Assembly Special concerns: Session (UNGASS) on Drugs in 2016. • In South Africa, Indonesia, Tanzania 7 and Burundi, GNP+ staff have experienced arbitrary surveillance Unfortunately, one quarter of the networks had and corruption and violence – both in general and more regressive experiences, underpinned by targeted particularly towards vulnerable groups. broader societal movements or trends. • There are particularly urgent threats to the imme- In Russia, the government continues to keep tight • diate safety of people who use drugs and LGBTQI control over non-governmental organizations, communities in Philippines, Tanzania and Cambodia, particularly those receiving funding from outside which presents serious barriers to freedom of of the country, and exercises the Foreign Agent 4 assembly and freedom of expression, and are act; EKHN member organization ESVERO has faced further described in the Urgent Threats box (right). “foreign agent” sanctions, including the seizure of their bank account. This approach is being Some barriers to freedom of assembly were of a less mimicked in some other countries, including political, more bureaucratic nature: Hungary, which in 2017 introduced its own Foreign Agent registration requirements. • GNP+ has faced problems with the political and financial systems in crisis in South Africa through- In Pakistan, Youth RISE (Harm Reduction • out 2017, resulting in difficulties to obtain work Consortium) also report partners being unable permits and severe fluctuation in currency values. to receive funding from outside of the country. • Peers 2 Zero (P2Z) experienced some barriers in the In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, • complexity of registering an organization across M-Coalition (Consortium of MSM and Transgender different countries; however, these complexities Networks) reported that many local level organi- are not specific to the nature of the organization zations are being forced to close due to pressure (e.g. ISP-focused). Similar barriers have been from governments, which blocks the possibility of encountered by REDLACTRANS in Latin America. receiving external funding. • Thailand also amended immigration policies, mean- There are serious concerns about closing of civil ing that regional staff based in Bangkok must now society space in the West, as well: renew their visas every 30 days, which generates additional costs (Sex Worker Network Consortium). • The HIV Justice Network (HIV Justice Global Con- sortium) opted to change plans to register in the The remaining 28 networks (42%) reported no UK after the 2016 Brexit vote (citing limitations in significant change in the legal and policy framework European Union funding and possibility of restrict- that concerns freedom of association. In some cases, ed freedoms due to increasingly conservative en- this meant that networks continued to operate vironment).5 unencumbered. However, it's notable that ‘no change’ • Globally, partners receiving PEPFAR funding have doesn’t always mean that things are OK.
4 Human Rights Watch. (2018) Russia: Government vs Rights Groups. https://www.hrw.org/russia-goverment-against-rights-groups-battle-chronicle 5 Evidence includes “Brexit and your non-profit” at https://www.changingourworld.com/brexit, and “What Brexit Means for the NGO Operating Environment” at https://www.bond.org.uk/news/2017/02/what-brexit-means-for-the-ngo-operating-environment 6 Center for Reproductive Rights. (2018) One Year Since Reinstatement, Global Gag Rule Has Devastating Impact on Women’s Health and Human Rights Worldwide. https://www.reproductiverights.org/press-room/one-year-since-reinstatement-global-gag-rule-has-devastating-impact-on-women’s-health-and 7 https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/oct/26/tanzania-illegally-detains-human-rights-lawyers-for-promoting-homosexuality
22 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Urgent Threats to Freedom of Assembly
While there are reports from several CAMBODIA countries of crackdowns on freedom War on drugs of assembly for civil society and Cambodia appears to have drawn inspiration from the state-sponsored violence, three Philippines reinvigorating its war on drugs in a New Year’s Day 2017 announcement shortly after Prime urgent cases stand out and pose a Minister Hun Sen received a visit from the Philippines serious threat to large groups of ISPs: president. The Prime Minister announced an intended Philippines, Cambodia and Tanzania. 6-month crack-down which continued through the In all three of these settings, violence year and resulted in the arrest of 13,000 people on drug related charges. These individuals are put into perpetrated by non-state actors pre-trial detention for long periods in overcrowded continuesto increase, as well. facilities. Harm reduction programs report that peo- ple who use drugs have been driven deep underground where they are exposed to greater risks and no access PHILIPPINES to life-saving services, and provision of services Extrajudicial killings targeted to people who use drugs has become a President Duterte’s resurgent war on drugs has security threat for outreach workers. created a culture of fear and impunity on the part of law enforcement and even the general public. TANZANIA It has led to over 12,000 extrajudicial killings of people who use drugs since 2016. While there is Mass arrests an urgent need for advocacy to counteract these In Tanzania, a Presidential Decree has led to mass human rights abuses, there is little space in which arrests and detention of activists and service activists can do this without extreme threat to providers working on HIV prevention and rights safety: people who use drugs, human rights defenders programs, particularly those related to LGBTQI issues. and media personnel have faced severe threats and At the same time, applications for the registration violence for speaking out. State-sponsored violence of NGOs were suspended in 2017 as NGOs currently and persecution is a serious barrier for freedom registered were required to undergo a mandatory ver- of association of people who use drugs, including ification process; the vetting of NGOs subsequently the right to establish or operate a network without began on 21 August 2017, and many NGOs have been discrimination, as people who use drugs fear threatened with de-registration and intimidated. retribution for enhanced visibility, community The amount of documentation required of NGOs, organizing, and rights advocacy. including the presentation of proof of payment of annual fees and receipts since registration is cumbersome and presents an added administrative burden. These factors combined make operations in Tanzania extremely challenging and pose a threat to all ISP programming, but particularly that dealing with LGBTQI rights and access to care.
BUILDING INSTITUTIONAL AND ADVOCACY CAPACITY 23 Throughout 2016-2017, some networks and their • In Morocco (ITPC-ARASA Consortium), new laws membership continued to exist in extremely on freedom of speech remove the possibility of challenging environments. For many networks, this prison time for non-violent speech (though, means being unable to register with a name that notably, administrative sanctions and fines still openly identifies their constituency or cause: remain a possibility). • For the Eurasian Regional Consortium members in Estonia, no change meant that ISPs continued to Others noted increased access to democratic policy- face barriers to freedom of assembly, including and decision-making processes: being barred from registering an organization which • In Bangladesh and Pakistan, PLHIV and migrant mentions the term “narcotics,” due to heavy groups had opportunities to make substantive stigmatization of drug use. contributions to National Strategic Plans, • Similar difficulties were experienced by Harm particularly related to HIV prevention for Reduction Consortium members in Moldova and migrant workers (CARAM Asia). Georgia, where organizations openly comprised of • In the Caribbean, CVC reported large-scale people who use drugs remain unable to register. increases in representation of ISPs on Country • Several network members, such as members of Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs). the Sex Worker Networks Consortium in Nepal and • Additionally, partners in the Caribbean also report Myanmar, were able to register as organizations as that UNAIDS Fast Track Targets of 90-90-90 by long as they did not use explicit ISP-associated 2020 have pushed for increased collaboration terms (e.g. ‘sex work’) in their names. between National AIDS Programs and ISP commu- • In Africa, networks reported continuing challenges nities (PNC+). with operating openly as organizations dedicated to LGBTQI issues in Botswana, Burundi 8, Mozam- Transgender populations in particular saw increased bique, Nigeria 9 and Tanzania. As a result, some empowerment and freedom of expression in some networks report that communities must form settings, including: loose, un-registered groups, or are forced to • In Belarus, transgender people gained recognition register their organizations under different by the CCM, as a population eligible for inclusion in guises, e.g. HIV or abstinence-related. the representative body.
• Trans health is now included in the Family Planning Freedom of Expression Association’s policies in Tonga. While freedom of association is a critical issue for ISP • A regional trans network has been established in networks, freedom of expression is an equally impor- the Caribbean. tant aspect of their ability to achieve their mission. This reporting period was a dynamic one for Robert At the same time, many of the 41% of networks Carr Fund networks in this regard. reporting no net change in environment faced the same challenges as previous years: sex workers speak- While networks headquartered in Western countries, ing on behalf of their rights were sometimes accused e.g. Canada and the Netherlands, reported no signif- of “promoting prostitution,” supporting violence icant changes, many networks saw their freedom of against women, or of being complicit in human traffick- expression evolving under legal frameworks. ing. Police retaliation and administrative inquiries (e.g. • On the regional level, ANPUD (Consortium of Net- tax audits) were common aspects of the hostile envi- works of People Who Use Drugs) has experienced ronment for sex workers. Communities of LGBTQI peo- more freedom of expression without harassment ple and people who use drugs (PWUD) reported similar by government or others (except for online harass- experiences, with the experiences of young people in ment, which persists: trolls and other threats). these populations being particularly challenging.
8 Article 567 of Burundi Penal Code - the revision of the Penal Code in 2009 made homosexual relations punishable by three months to two years of imprisonment and/or by a fine of BIF50, 000–100, 00. Also, though article 29 of the Constitution of Burundi guarantees the freedom to marry, as is the right to choose one's partner, marriage between two people of the same sex is forbidden 9 Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2013 (also bans LGBTQI organizations) – bans “gay clubs, societies, and organizations” as well as their “sustenance, processions and meetings. Under this law, an individual who “registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organizations” commits a criminal offense subject to up to ten years in prison.
24 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 2.2.
assistance relationship with the fiscal agent. How are networks ITPC Global, which received its own registration in 2015 after many years working under a fiscal agent, operating and provides a supportive example of how these arrange- advocating in ments, when approached thoughtfully, can provide stability and a space to grow organizational capacity. restrictive Meanwhile, several networks also reported the environments? formation and/or registration of new members, sometimes covering critical geographical gaps.
• The HIV Justice Global Consortium reports the Despite significant emerging or emergence of a regional network in Francophone persisting challenges in some Africa under the support of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. operating environments, many • The Sex Worker Networks Consortium supported grantees and their members made the registration of AMETS, a new sex worker or- progress in how they operate. ganization in Mexico 8.
In Latin America, GAYLATINO (hosted by Several networks successfully obtained registration • SOMOSGAY, member of the Consortium of MSM in 2017: and Transgender Networks) was able to register in • The HIV Justice Network (HIV Justice Global Paraguay as a regional body in a record time of Consortium) successfully registered as a founda- nine months. tion (Stichting) in the Netherlands in July; this Star-Star, a sex worker organization in Macedonia strategic decision was taken, over registering in • supported through the Sex Worker Networks the UK, due to the 2016 Brexit vote and, while it Consortium, opened two new regional branches. proved to be a lengthy and more complicated process, it is anticipated to have long-term Notably, the Eurasian Regional Consortium saw some benefits in terms of access to EU funding, significant development and re-organization in 2017 exchange rate stability, and greater freedom among its consortium members. of movement of staff and other stakeholders. • The Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA) • EKHN also obtained legal registration in November re-formed as a new entity, successfully registering 2017, having successfully registered in Poland, and and hiring fulltime staff members – a significant having opted to register there because of political feat in a challenging situation, which was only and economic stability relative to current project possible due to the flexibility of Robert Carr Fund countries. funding 11.
Several other networks reported working under • The East Europe and Central Asian Union of long-term fiscal agent agreements, including ITPCru People Living with HIV (ECUO) significantly (ITPC-ARASA Consortium), PLAPERTS (Sex Worker revised its governance structure and procedures Networks Consortium), Eurasian Network of People to be more representative of its constituency. who Use Drugs (ENPUD, Harm Reduction Consortium), and ICWCARR (ICW Caribbean, ICW). This is being Several networks reported formalizing or significantly done for a variety of reasons, including shelter from growing operations as a result of core funding from political scrutiny, and the benefit of having a technical the Robert Carr Fund.
10 Global Network of Sex Work Projects. (2017) AMETS: A New Sex Work Network in Mexico. http://www.nswp.org/news amets-new-sex- workers-organisation-mexico 11 Lessons: Thanks to the flexibility of RCNF EHRA managed to rebuild itself in less than a year. http://harmreductioneurasia.org/about-us/
BUILDING INSTITUTIONAL AND ADVOCACY CAPACITY 25 • Both the African Young Positives Network (AY+) Many more mature organizations 12 reported being and Pediatric-Adolescent Treatment Africa (PATA) fully-staffed and operational without any significant (both P2Z), with the former evolving from an limitations, many with strategic plans being imple- all-volunteer operation to having multiple staff mented. Nevertheless, several of these networks members in place, while the latter has grown both reported the use of Robert Carr Fund funds to main- in terms of staff numbers and expanding its port- tain or improve key organizational functions, including folio of adolescent- and youth-centred programs. financial management, replenishment and meeting of governance structures, and human resources man- These networks join APTN as an early success • agement. INPUD, for example, undertook significant story of the Robert Carr Fund, having received improvements to human resources infrastructure, in initial funding in 2013 and having since grown into response to an organizational scan was completed by a formidable presence in the region, spearheading an independent consultant in 2016. Management staff cutting edge research and advocacy on transgen- were trained on performance development and review der issues throughout Asia-Pacific. processes, and a new process was designed and inte- • 2017 was a similarly dynamic year for the Positive grated into human resources polices and procedures. Women’s Network – USA (HIV Justice Global Con- sortium), where staff size increased nearly 50% over the course of the year.
Responding to Emerging Security Threats
People living with HIV were witness To mitigate the safety and security risks on the to some of the worst oppression and ground, GNP+ is working with other partners to identify and incorporate some best practices on violence in 2017. safety and security for activists. To respond to the declining human rights environment and prosecutions As part of planned work, the Global Network of across intersections of HIV and other vulnerable People Living with HIV (GNP+) has been working identities, the network continues to map the with networks to map HIV-related prosecutions and co-factors in the prosecutions and engaging in identify activists in the three most-affected regions dialogue with Consortium partners about how to (Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and best support people who are prosecuted and caught the Caribbean, and Asia Pacific). While doing this in a web of anti-HIV, woman, sex work, LGBT, and/or work, networks have to focus on increased safety drug use laws. and security for themselves. GNP+ has noted that
prosecutions are happening to people living with HIV The flexibility of Robert Carr Fund resources, based on multiple vulnerabilities alongside HIV status, including stabilizing core funding, makes it possible including increased penalties for sex workers, to document and respond to increasingly hostile targeting of gay men with HIV, and state- environments while assuring that staff and member sanctioned violence against people who use safety remain a priority. drugs, in a context of deeply-rooted misogyny and dangerous gender norms against women with HIV.
12 ITPC’s regional networks in East Africa, MENA, West Africa, LATCA and Global; APNSW, CSW and SWAN (Sex Worker Networks Consortium), Harm Reduction International (HRI) and the International Drug Policy Coalition, MENAHRA (Harm Reduction Consortium) and ARASA, Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network (HIV Justice Global Consortium), GNP+ and APN+ (Positive Network Consortium), INERELA+, APTN, INPUD, ANPUD, IAM, PATA, CVC, CARAM Asia
26 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 2.3
How sustainable are sources which will require increased networks? financial capacity. Six networks (11%) attained the next level of fiscal Robert Carr Fund also provides capacity, having at least one full-time staff member critical support for financial systems devoted to financial management, and having a practice of conducting regular financial and project audits. strengthening and increased • Notably, ITPC (ITPC-ARASA Consortium), ECUO financial sustainability, which also and Caribbean Regional Network of People Living supports better value for money with HIV (CRN+) (the latter two, of the Positive and increased accountability within Networks Consortium) all report being able to support this achievement due to funding from the global HIV response. Global Fund regional grants.
During this reporting period, sixteen networks (28%) Only 3 networks (5%) reported a baseline of either reported having basic fiscal capacity measures in core and project funding security for at least two place: at least an accounting system and a part-time years, or a recent award that is at least 50% larger staff member devoted to finance, or a fiscal agent than previous awards. managing the network’s accounting; and also a • Youth LEAD (Consortium of Networks led by Young Treasurer in place on its Board of Directors. People) has secured funding from the Global Fund • Half of these sixteen networks operate via a fiscal Community Rights and Gender (CRG)-Special agent, while seven manage their own accounting Grants initiative, through mid-2020; systems; one remaining network, reports no • CARAM Asia reported a diversified funding current accounting system or financial manage- portfolio, including multi-lateral donors as well ment, due to lack of capacity and lack of funding. as private foundations.
• Others continue to work to increase their finan- • The Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM; cial capacity to transition from reliance on a fiscal Eurasian Regional Consortium and Consortium of agent, to self-management of finances; funds from MSM and Transgender Networks) grew significantly the Robert Carr Fund are critical to building this in terms of staff size as a result of a regional Global capacity, as well as to seeking diversified funding Fund grant.
BUILDING INSTITUTIONAL AND ADVOCACY CAPACITY 27 However, some grantees reported significant barriers • After the HIV Justice Global Consortium supported to achieving financial stability. the participation of a Canadian delegation to the • Sex workers in particular struggle to mobilize fund- US for the HIV is Not a Crime 2016 training acad- ing due to international funding trends. The Sex emy, the Canadian National Coalition to Reform Worker Networks Consortium is working to address HIV Criminalization was born, and successfully this by helping members to achieve funding diver- applied for grant funding from the Elton John AIDS sification, but challenges persist. Foundation for organizational strengthening and advocacy. • South Africa also presents a unique barrier for • The Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (Eurasian regional organizations which operate there, with a Regional Consortium and Harm Reduction Consor- Tax Act which specifies that local private compa- tium), which used Robert Carr Funding for critical nies can only make non-tax-deductible donations start-up activities, was selected by the Global to organizations whose activities and resources Fund to host the Eastern Europe and Central Asia benefit South African citizens – something for Regional CRG Platform, providing the organization which a regional network, specifically PATA (P2Z), with further funding to sustain its staff. which serves citizens of other countries, does not qualify. • Robert Carr Fund’s support for key staff members allowed ITPC (ITPC-ARASA Consortium) to devel- Several grantees were able to utilize Robert Carr Fund op and submit successful proposals, including one core or strategic activity to catalyze further funding, to the International AIDS Society which granted thereby increasing their sustainability: funding to generate demand for routine viral load testing in six countries in Africa and Asia. • The INERELA+ Secretariat built upon activities funded by Robert Carr Fund to successfully acquire funds from the Open Society Initiative Southern Africa to support additional programmatic inter- ventions combatting stigma and discrimination against LGBTQI in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.
Sustainability Beyond Financial Resources
While financial resources are critical people with different work styles and roles within the for organizational sustainability, human organization. The network prioritizes supporting its employees and members with growth opportunities resources are also necessary to drive and strives to promote and hire from within whenever the work of networks. possible. APTN has worked to assure that it has funds to do these things, as well as to provide health insur- In the hostile environments described above, network ance and access to mental health care services. staff can experience a range of challenging situa- tions, from feelings of hopelessness and burnout to In addition, it has taken steps to directly assure the serious physical and psychological threats. well-being and safety of its staff members, leaders and members by organizing a 3-day session focusing APTN recognizes the importance of maintaining its on safety, health and healing for activists. This work- human resources, and intentionally works to create an shop was a critical investment in the sustainability of organizational culture of diversity, made up of APTN’s human resources and the movements they drive.
28 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 2.4. How are networks building movements and engaging their constituencies?
In environments where individual ISPs face limitations • Following INPUD’s Annual General Meeting in to their freedom of expression, it is particularly October 2015, INPUD moved to a model of regional important that networks are actively and thoughtfully membership. This means that eight global regions representative of the populations they serve. – as well as INPUD’s women’s network, the Interna- tional Network of Women who Use Drugs (INWUD) Nine networks (16%) reported being at a basic level of – are now represented on INPUD’s Board. Each development in terms of mechanisms to assure that member of INPUD’s Board represents a region and, constituencies are represented and the network is in turn, is directly accountable to the constituency governed democratically. that elected them.
• Some networks, such as ITPC West Africa and ITPC • Due to the support of the Robert Carr Fund, all East Africa (ITPC-ARASA Consortium) and Youth 10 members of the Consortium of MSM and Trans- RISE (Harm Reduction Coalition), reported having gender Networks are operating at the highest a board which is chosen and governs according level of democratically-elected constituency to defined processes, but still having room for representatives on their board. improved functioning and leadership. • Some reported using Robert Carr Fund investments • Other networks, like ENPUD, were in earlier stages to effectively address specific issues limiting and still determining how to form a representative network growth or success: ECUO (PNC+) was able board. to make major governance revisions thanks to a General Assembly meeting which was funded • ICW had some network members which do not with Robert Carr Fund resources; CRN+ (PNC+) have a manual or process for board selection or successfully completed its strategic planning operation, though others have made budgetary process and revised and updated its constitution. considerations for its 2018 budget from the Robert Carr Fund to invest in board meetings Approximately a quarter of all networks reported hav- and other critical board maintenance. ing a democratically-elected, active and accountable
Six networks (11%) reported having reached the board which also successfully rotates leadership on a level of having a democratically elected board in regular basis. ITPC Global (ITPC-ARASA Consortium), place which actively engages in governance and having just achieved registration as an organization is accountable to its constituents. in 2015, successfully retired and replaced four of its 6 board members as planned. The remaining 29 Middle East and North Africa Harm Reduction • networks (51%) reported having achieved all of the Association (MENAHRA, Harm Reduction previous benchmarks, but additionally having a board Consortium) reported having a representative composed of at least 50% representatives from ISPs board but challenges with turnover as required and also achieving adequate geographic representa- by the board’s bylaws, due to lack of interested tion of its constituency. Of those 29, none reported parties to fill new positions. those achievements as being new in 2017 – but rather, • EuroNPUD (Harm Reduction Consortium) reported reported that level as a baseline. its board having strong engagement in governance of the network, but that opportunities remain to improve accountability to constituents.
BUILDING INSTITUTIONAL AND ADVOCACY CAPACITY 29 2.5. • SOMOSGAY (Consortium of MSM and Transgen- How influential are der Networks) implemented: a situational analysis on gay men in Latin America, using the findings networks in bringing to develop a GayLatino Advocacy Plan covering 21 countries; and a mapping of the capacity of its about change for ISPs? members in 18 countries in relation to resource accountability. In order to translate organizational structure and function into results, networks must build capacity to • CRN+ effectively engaged a wide range of stake- advocate for their cause. This is particularly important holders including parliamentarians, faith leaders, in the challenging environments noted above, where and key populations representatives in advocacy networks must not only fight for progress for ISPs, for the wellbeing of PLHIV, while numerous but also guard against regress. networks report effective collaborating relationship with UN agencies, particularly Approximately one third of networks reported early UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNODC. stages of capacity to unite and mobilize movements, with two networks (4%) not having achieved even The remaining networks (67%) reported either active the most basic metrics of having either an advocacy engagement or leadership in issue-based coalitions, strategy in place, significantly expanding its active high-level leadership in decision-making bodies, or membership, or building relationships and partnerships demonstrated ability to be a steward of change at with new allies. the global level. This includes:
• For EHRA, as a recently re-formed network that • ITPC partners (ITPC-ARASA Consortium) in Latin is establishing its membership, initial steps still America and Eurasia leading coalitions around include signing a memorandum of cooperation with access to treatment; other consortium members, and jointly planning an • Participation by multiple networks in the Global advocacy campaign for the AIDS 2018 conference, Fund NGO Forum, UNAIDS PCB and Regional and continuing to grow its membership. Coordinating Mechanisms (Consortium of MSM • IAM continued to function as an informal coalition and Transgender Networks, Sex Worker Networks of member agencies, utilizing the same Theory of Consortium). Change. • Engaging in stewardship of regional advocacy • Two other networks (4%) recorded not yet reaching platforms (ECOM, Eurasian Regional Consortium). these basic metrics: ITPC East Africa (ITPC-ARASA • Partners in the Harm Reduction Consortium Consortium) was limited due to lack of funding, and participating in the UN Strategic Advisory Group EKHN was undergoing internal restructuring, and on HIV and Drug Use alongside donor governments, therefore not actively expanding its membership. relevant UN agencies and the Global Fund.
The remaining two thirds of networks have advocacy • GNP+ holding a place in the UNITAID and Global strategies in place, and seventeen networks (25%) Fund Communities delegations, as well as on the reported having either played a significant role in Rights and Gender Technical Advisory Group. at least one joint advocacy campaign, or otherwise • ANPUD (Consortium of Networks of People Who engaged in cross-sector partnership or working Use Drugs) leading a Regional Response Team, relationships with government, United Nations or which brings together issues of human rights multi- or bi-lateral agencies. across HIV and human rights organizations in • Cross-cutting issues of engagement included the Philippines. migrants and refugees for EuroNPUD (Harm Re- duction Consortium); ICWAP’s work on forced and coerced sterilization at the regional level; and gender-based violence prevention campaigns by ICWCARR.
30 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 2.5.1 ▸ Good governance requires organizational support. What did grantees learn about Because boards are composed of volunteers, many building institutional and of whom are already overcommitted with their own advocacy capacity? organizations or other endeavors, network staff are realistically responsible for supporting the board to plan and execute meetings, follow-up ▸ Registration is not (always) a simple process. on commitments, and other key functions. For networks that have decided to register (versus This has budget implications, so when budgeting working under a fiscal agent), the process should for governance costs, it is important to consider be viewed strategically. Grantees learned through what that means for staff time, as well. experience that a budget to hire a professional who can navigate government bureaucracy, soliciting ▸ Capacity, including advocacy capacity, must be support from the UN were among strategies which built on an ongoing basis. Staff turnover is inev- may need to be considered in order to effectively itable, and advocacy capacity in particular tends register. to rely on one or two individuals with unique skill sets. Networks must budget for the possibility that ▸ All networks cycle through periods of strength and experienced staff may leave, and can safeguard periods of challenges. Working in a consortium, or against shocks by continually building capacity of across regional networks (for those under a global, additional existing staff members on an ongoing single-network grantee) allows networks which are basis. experiencing difficulties to lean on those which have more capacity in the moment, and to share ▸ There are other, less-talked-about types of practices as well as morale support. capacity to consider. Managing internal conflict, building a sense of shared purpose, and building ▸ Transparency and accountability remain key to trust and transparency within networks are topics building successful movements. The role of global which are critical to their function, but which are and regional networks in maintaining communi- often overlooked in standard capacity building cation platforms with their members is important. programs. This includes social media as well as regular oppor- tunities for face-to-face meetings of membership, when possible.
BUILDING INSTITUTIONAL AND ADVOCACY CAPACITY 31 http://www.inpud.net/en/response-unodc-statement-kil- lings-philippines
32 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 3. Influencing Protection of ISP Rights
Strong networks use their capacity to influence at the local, regional and global levels. For ISPs – who are subject to criminalization, stigmatization and discrimination – and the networks who work on their behalf, legal, policy and social advocacy is an important tool for promoting and protecting human and civil rights. This section describes the legal, policy and social environments affecting ISP rights and how they are evolving, and how support from the Robert Carr Fund allowed networks to respond.
3.1 • In the United States, the State of California took a positive step in reclassifying HIV exposure as com- What was the state of parable to other communicable diseases, making social, policy and legal transmission a misdemeanor rather than a felony. • In Canada, the Federal and Ontario governments environments related have publicly indicated the need to limit HIV criminalization, though they have yet to propose to ISP rights? concrete steps. • On the global level, Migrant Domestic Workers’ Rights achieved recognition in the International Many reported minor (37%) or major (7%) progress Labour Organization – ILO Convention 189, after related to policy and legislation on protection and a longstanding advocacy effort (CARAM Asia). redress of human rights. • Additionally, Global Fund’s new policies surrounding http://www.inpud.net/en/response-unodc-statement-kil- • Under the Sex Worker Networks Consortium, sex basic respect of human rights as a precondition for lings-philippines workers in Myanmar noted that they can more funding has reportedly led to some improvements. easily report non-paying clients to the police,
receiving less harassment from police on the Roughly a quarter (26%) of networks reported no basis of their field of employment. change from the previous year. Fewer networks • Belize undertook legislative changes which experienced either minor (19%) or major (12%) regress decriminalized consensual sexual conduct in human rights for the populations they serve. between adults of the same sex. • In Belarus, an upsurge in prosecutions for HIV • In Iran, there have been promising changes to transmission led to international outcry, and swift the law on the death penalty which could prove action from the Ministry of Health to intervene significant for PWUD. with the Ministry of Justice; the situation remains
INFLUENCING PROTECTION OF ISP RIGHTS 33 #STOPDUTERTENOW – A Community- led Response to the Philippines Drug War
In response to the alarming human session of the Universal Periodic Review, as well as rights situation and extrajudicial killings letters to the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special in the Philippines (see Urgent Threats, Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment above) the INPUD-ANPUD Consortium of the highest attainable standard of physical and undertook extensive advocacy work. mental health. This resulted in public statements by the Commissioner of the CESCR and the Special Rapporteurs condemning the extrajudicial killings. ANPUD took the lead on coordination, with guidance from colleagues in the Philippines, and established a INPUD facilitated communication between the Regional Response Team made up of regional HIV and Global Fund and ANPUD, to explore ways for local human rights organizations on July 8, 2016. INPUD and organizations to access catalytic funding for human other partners provided logistical, policy and advoca- rights work; ANPUD is currently supporting IDU Care, cy support. the national network of PUDs in the Philippines. In addition, ANPUD, along with regional partners such In 2016, the consortium coordinated a Global Week as APCASO, 7 sisters and UNAIDS have been working of Action, mobilizing community and partners to on ways to influence public opinion. This includes take direct action. Protests were organized all over the development of a set of communication tools, the world – across eight cities – as a result of the including an info-pack, designed to respond to the consortium’s planned week of action. A video of the myths and misconceptions surrounding the war on INPUD-led London protest went viral, with more than drugs and people who use drugs. Lastly, INPUD and half a million people reached. There were 245,000 ANPUD collaborated on two online campaigns; the views of the video, and 2,500 likes and click first to demand that Apple App Store remove online responses. games designed to promote and incite violence The consortium also put together an advocacy toolkit, towards people who use drugs, by allowing the entitled Global Week of Action: Crisis for People who public to virtually simulate Duterte’s war on drugs. Use Drugs in the Philippines. The online campaign took a two-pronged approach, Following the week of action, there have been unre- where additional individual and organization support lenting efforts against the re-imposition of the death has been mobilized through people using the social penalty bill, protests against the arrest of medial hashtag, #stopdutertenow. The campaign Senator De Lima – a vocal opponent of the extra- gained much traction. Following our concerted judicial killings in the Philippines - and collaboration actions as a consortium, and through our partnership with wider civil society to bring the President to with the other organizations and individuals who had the International Criminal Court (ICC) to be held to supported the #stopdutertenow campaign across account for his crimes against humanity. social media, Apple removed the apps.
As a consortium, public statements of condemnation Without the support of RCF, this advocacy work – were composed in collaboration. These included: - coordinated by INPUD & ANPUD as consortium Philippines: An Entreaty to End the Killing, to End the partners – would not have been possible. Poverty and Exclusion13 and Response to the UNODC Though we’ve made significant gains and learnt many Statement on the killings in the Philippines.14 INPUD lessons considering the overall context – the extra and ANPUD also utilized a wide range of human rights judicial killings and mass detention continue unabated. mechanisms and special procedures, including official We will sustain our advocacy work on the Philippines submissions to the 59th session of the Committee by working with partners to maintain political pressure on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the 27th on ending this human rights crisis.
13 http://inpud.net/en/philippines-entreaty-end-killing-end-poverty-and-exclusion 14 http://www.inpud.net/en/response-unodc-statement-killings-philippines 34 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 in flux, but there appears to be the possibility of workers, and anyone else who might not have been remediation. perceived to reflect the views of the majority.
• Indonesia has experienced a crack-down on broth- • In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the case els, which leads to increased risks for sex workers. of Bolivia represents a strong setback in terms of Human Rights, where the Superior Court declared • In Zimbabwe, sex workers lost a legal bid to organ- unconstitutional Article 11 of the Gender Identity ize a sex workers awareness march, which would Law sanctioned in 2016, which conferred all funda- bring attention to the increasing violence against mental rights, political, labor, civil, economic and sex workers in the country. Despite sex work not social to transgender people after undergoing legal being illegal, a judge upheld the decision to ban the name changes. march on the basis of morality 15- indicating a clear departure from the legal framework which does not • Particularly in Egypt the government crackdowns prohibit sex work. on LGBTQI individuals and organizations has led many to go into hiding and affecting many MSM • In PNG, after the sex work decriminalization bill was service providers. (Consortium of MSM and Trans- rejected by parliament, groups of sex workers and gender Networks) their allies experienced increases in harassment. • In the Caribbean, CVC reports that MSM and SW • In Uganda, LGBTQI populations and sex workers are still face dangerous levels of discrimination, once again at increased risk after the rights of the including threats of violence, supported by the Equal Opportunities Commission were reinstated. legal framework. The Commission had previously been barred from investigating matters “considered to be immor- • In Estonia, an election year led to politicians using al and socially harmful," but this restriction was drug use and people who use drugs as bait, making deemed unconstitutional and the Commission is promises to “clean the streets of drug users” as now used to legally sanction LGBTQI people, sex part of populist platforms.
Steps in Strategic Advocacy
While effective advocacy can take a number of forms and must always adapt to the specific context, for the purpose of measuring growth in advocacy capacity, the Robert Carr Fund has outlined the following strategic steps to grantees to measure their progress during MEL reporting:
1. Generating credible evidence on which informed advocacy campaigns or educational activities can be be based. 2. Developing an implementing advocacy strategy and/or campaign to advocate for and influence on specific issues. 3. Building coalitions, broadening and diversifying partnerships and thus bridging and expanding movements to increase and sustain influence that can contribute to positive change in policies and practice to benefit ISPs. 4. Documenting change as a result of advocacy and/or educational activities to learn from previous and improve further advocacy efforts.
While there are variations on these steps which can also be considered progress in advocacy, in gene- ral, progress against these steps is used to measure grantee achievement in each of the three outcome areas of protection of rights, access to services, and mobilization and accountability of resources.
15 http://www.nswp.org/news/zimbabwes-court-denies-the-right-sex-workers-associate
INFLUENCING PROTECTION OF ISP RIGHTS 35 Documenting Human Rights Violations in the Caribbean
Inadequately Served Populations (ISPs) In October 2016, the SID was piloted with 3 key ISP- in the Caribbean often experience led agencies in Jamaica, which included the Jamaica Network of Seropositives (a national PLHIV network), human rights violations including the Equality for All (a national LGBTQI network), and denial of access to justice, health, Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (a national ISP-led education, and employment. ISPs also treatment site). Full implementation of the SID began in January 2017 and CVC conducted a series of face harassment, discrimination, social two-day trainings on the SID, Legal Literacy and exclusion and violence. Human Rights in 12 countries in the Caribbean. ISP-led organizations were trained in the following In 2016, through funding from the Robert Carr Fund, countries: Belize, Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition Trinidad & Tobago, St. Lucia, Dominica, Barbados, established the Shared Incident Database (SID), the St. Kitts & Nevis, Grenada, Dominican Republic and first regional civil society-led human rights reporting St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Technical assistance mechanism which records, analyses and exchanges was provided to CSOs to build capacity in the information on rights violations. SID facilitates community monitoring of legal rights and use of SID. comprehensive data collection through standardized intake procedures which build the capacity of civil As of February 2018, the Shared Incident Database society organizations to document rights breaches has been instituted across 9 Caribbean countries and enables data sharing to support redress or through 28 civil society organizations that are led engagement with public health, policy and legal by or working on behalf of ISPs. Between January - decision-makers. December 2017, there have been 1034 cases of human rights violations documented in SID (note: Prior to the implementation of SID, there was no this includes current 2017 cases and backlogged singular reporting system to document human rights cases captured over the past 10 years). In some violations at either the national or regional level. instances where CSOs previously captured Not all countries in the Caribbean had a centralized information on rights breaches using a paper- human rights desk in their respective Ministry of based format, SID has served as a repository for Justice, or within any other national monitoring maintaining records and supporting case framework. This gap meant that there would be management. inconsistencies in the data captured, if it even existed, and this would be prohibitive for any In addition, CVC supports linkage to redress mech- quantitative assessment of the human rights anisms through the establishment of a community situation in the Caribbean. paralegal program and to pro-bono legal services through CARIBONO Social Justice Lawyering Group. On the SID, clients’ identifiable details are only visible CARIBONO, is a network of lawyers from across the at an organizational level and there are varied data Caribbean who offer pro-bono legal services to doc- access levels within an organization’s profile, which is umented cases. The legal group was formed through a feature that supports enhanced security and con- the University Rights Advocacy Project (URAP), which fidentiality. In addition, the database can generate has been technical partner under the 2016-2017 non-identifiable, aggregated data with geographic Robert Carr Fund grant. As a result of improved identifiers which will be useful in producing national community monitoring of legal rights, there are and regional reports on the human rights. currently 7 legal challenges filed by ISPs before the courts in Jamaica, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.
36 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 3.2 • ARASA trainees (ITPC-ARASA Consortium) How did networks delivered testimony to the Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special positively influence the Programmes of SADC. legal, policy and social • EHRA submitted human rights violation reports from Estonia and Kazakhstan to UN systems.
environment that pro- • Youth LEAD (Consortium of Networks led by Young People) with financial support from UNFPA Asia tects ISP rights? Pacific Office and technical support from Inter Agency Task Team on YKP in the AP region devel- Affecting positive change in the oped a youth-friendly legal advocacy toolkit. social, legal and policy environment • MSMGF collaborated with partners in the Consor- takes strategy and, often, lots of time. tium of MSM and Transgender Networks to maintain interest in the Political Declaration of the 2016 Ultimate achievements are often the High-Level Meeting, via multiple media including result of well-executed advocacy, blogging, publication of an update on progress, based on carefully-collected evidence and video archives of statements related to ISPs of the problem and a well-crafted made at the meeting. These tools helped MSM and transgender networks and their constituents to proposal for improvement. track governments’ attention to key populations, including within their Voluntary National Reviews Nine networks (16%) reported being at the earliest of the Sustainable Development Goals and their stages of affecting their desired change, having interventions at the High-Level Political Forum. generated credible evidence on which to base an
advocacy campaign; or having gained an increased Seventeen networks (31%) reported achieving the understanding of a government or UN process or third level of progress against this indicator, having funding agency mechanism, which could inform either implemented a campaign to promote human stronger advocacy. This included: rights, supported strategic litigation in protection of • the analysis of drug laws and protocols by ENPUD human rights, or utilized a UN or parliamentary process (Harm Reduction Consortium), to apply influence.
• mapping of HIV criminalization in Francophone • ARASA staff conducted interventions at the Joint Africa (HIV Justice Global Consortium), African, Caribbean and Pacific European Union Parliamentary Assembly, leading to the adoption • community-led research on HIV criminalization of Resolution ACP-EU/102.371/17/fin on access to in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Eastern medicines 16 (ITPC-ARASA Consortium). Europe and Central Asia (HIV Justice Global Consortium), • AMSHeR supported workshops to campaign for the promotion of human rights when network members • support for national-level needs assessments were arrested in Tanzania (Consortium of MSM and for transgender persons (APTN), and Transgender Networks). • ICW published documentation of human rights • ASWA (Sex Worker Networks Consortium) imple- violations against women living with HIV in MENA. mented a decriminalization campaign alongside continued work with Amnesty International to help Fifteen networks (27%) have gone further, having them develop a decriminalization policy. developed an advocacy strategy or gained access to or representation on an influencing body, to improve • International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC, Harm the state of human rights for ISPs. Reduction Consortium) began engagement in the
16 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/acp/2017_haiti/pdf/1142803_en.pdf
INFLUENCING PROTECTION OF ISP RIGHTS 37 Building Momentum for Gender Identity Laws in Latin America
In many countries across the Latin • In El Salvador, REDLACTRANS member ASPIDH American region, there seems to be worked with other CSO partners to prepare a an increasing willingness and opportu- Gender Identity Law for presentation at Parliament (presentation occurred after the reporting period, nity to consider gender identity laws, in March 2018). REDLACTRANS’ Regional which allow transgender people to Coordinator took part in Gender Identity Law legally amend their names and forum in San Salvador, to further support ASPIDH gender – a step which is often critical and share experiences from across the region. for accessing public services and • Within the framework of the 118th Regular Session of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, benefits, including health and social Costa Rica requested a public hearing to carry services, as well as for living without out an Advisory Opinion regarding a gender fear of extortion or unwilling exposure. identity law. REDLACTRANS presented testimony to the Court on this issue and was further REDLACTRANS, as the only transgender network invited to testify during the public hearing. operating in the region, is in a unique position to tie The REDLACTRANS Regional Coordinator shared together many of the ongoing legislative advocacy testimony on the Argentinian experience of movements, assuring that good advocacy practices enacting a gender identity law in 2012, highlight- are shared from country to country, as well as ing the positive effects it has had for the lives of providing direct testimony and legislative drafting transgender women. Subsequently, in November support which draws from other successful changes 2017, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights throughout the region. established a legal precedent at the regional level for countries which do not currently have In 2017, there were three remarkable successes in such legislation. this area, which benefited from REDLACTRANS’ involvement: Without core funding from the Robert Carr Fund, it would not have been possible to devote the human • The Mexican districts of Michoacán and Nayarit resources to respond to these situations as they passed gender identity laws, which were built on arose, and local advocates and lawmakers may not those previously passed in other districts (including have had the opportunity to draw on examples of Mexico City), Argentina, Uruguay and Bolivia. similar legislation across the region. REDLACTRANS facilitated the sharing of those sample legislations.
38 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 UN’s Universal Periodic Review process, particu- 3.2.1. larly to support and contextualize the Philippines review. What did grantees learn about
• In Estonia, despite aggressive attacks from influencing a more enabling, populist political candidates, the Eurasia Regional rights-affirming social, policy, Consortium work with the Ministry of Social and legal environment for ISPs? Affairs to cultivate a progressive attitude in involving community organizations in high-level drug policy discussions, and mass media covered ▸ There’s not always a step forward. The result of the Support, Don’t Punish campaign with commen- strong advocacy can sometimes be the blocking tary from PWUD (Harm Reduction Consortium). of punitive laws and policies, rather than the introduction of rights-affirming ones which could Throughout the Caribbean, Caribbean Vulnerable • have led to an improved human rights environment. Communities reported an increase in litigation While it is ideal to achieve progress, sometimes challenges by ISPs, showing increased empower- it takes tremendous effort to maintain the ment to seek redress as an impact of the Shared status quo. Incidents Database human rights reporting mechanism. ▸ Interventions have to be timely. Sometimes legal or policy change is the result of dogged effort
The remaining quarter of networks reported having for a decade; other times, it is the result of being successfully achieved a legal or policy change, or responsive at a specific moment in time. having improved practice under an existing law to Rapid mobilization of advocacy responses is often protect human rights of ISPs. particularly necessary when new, harmful legisla- tion is put forward and needs a strong response In Armenia, advocacy from members of the • to assure it does not get passed. Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks and the Eurasian Key Populations Health Network ▸ Where national engagement is dangerous, regional contributed to successful legislative change advocacy may be more appropriate. In some cases, allowing name change for transgender individuals. a hostile local environment can mean that a strong local advocacy movement may illicit backlash and In Ecuador, PLAPERTS (Sex Worker Networks • deter from achieving the intended outcomes. Consortium) actively participated with in At the same time, a regional effort could mitigate negotiations with lawmakers on the new law local risks, and allow for more coordination with against gender-based violence. different stakeholders and agencies. The Malawi HIV bill was passed in support of • ▸ Basic education on HIV and other ISP issues may the rights of PLHIV, with the potential harmful need to accompany more complex advocacy. portions of the bill 17 being removed last-minute When engaging leaders or decision-makers on due to effective advocacy which was possible specific issues, it may be necessary to first thanks to the support of the Robert Carr Fund introduce basic facts on HIV, sexual orientation (HIV Justice Global Consortium). and gender identity, the context of drug use or sex • ECOM (Consortium of MSM and Transgender work, etc. Potential or new allies may have little Networks) supported successful advocacy work understanding of the most fundamental frame- in Georgia, overturning the government’s ban works that govern ISP’s lives and wellbeing, on gay men donating blood. and having these facts can help them to better understand and promote advocacy messages.
17 Provisions in the bill supporting HIV criminalisation (which were expected to disproportionately harm sex workers and women living with HIV), and mandatory testing for domestic workers (poor women) and police were removed by targeted, last minute advocacy supported by an RCNF grant to GNP+ and onward granted to local Malawi organizations. http://arasa.info/news/media-release-our-bodies-our-rights-activists-welcome-passing-malawi- hiv-and-aids-prevention-and-management-act/
INFLUENCING PROTECTION OF ISP RIGHTS 39 Preventing Harmful Legislation in Malawi
In May 2017, the Malawi Minister of Between July and October 2017, a loose coalition Health tabled the 2017 HIV (Prevention of Consortium members (ARASA, GNP+, and HJN) and SALC, the International Community of Women and Management) Bill, based Living with HIV (ICW), The Centre for Human Rights on a 2008 Law Commission Report, Advocacy Advice and Assistance (CHREAA), and the recommending coercive and punitive Coalition of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (COWLHA), joined forces to stop the Bill being passed in its approaches to people with HIV. current form. Consortium members focused on interventions to ensure that affected communities The Bill included measures to: mandate HIV testing understood the law’s implications and were more for pregnant women and their partners, domestic actively involved in determining the Bill’s contents. workers and police officers; criminalise treatment The support and collaboration through the Consor- non-adherence; and criminalise negligent as well tium working with key partners enabled advocacy to as ‘deliberate’ HIV exposure and/or transmission. be targeted at multiple entry points, including PLHIV Passing the Bill was considered urgent as it included networks, civil society, journalists, parliamentarians, provisions to institutionalize the National AIDS Coun- and at Ministerial level. The Consortium also facilitat- cil, the absence of which had inhibited critical funding ed urgent information referrals, including submissions flows. Various stakeholders, including the UNAIDS and responses to specific questions. Critically, the country office and some local PLHIV networks, were Consortium, through GNP+, enabled strategic pushing for the Bill to be passed if the problematic funding (USD10,000) to be made available when provisions were removed, but there was little to urgently needed to ensure the participation of no concern for the ‘deliberate’ HIV criminalisation women living with HIV and affected communities provision. No detailed education on the impact, to drive demands for reform. or meaningful dialogue with people living with HIV regarding removal of this overly broad and On 28 November 2017, Parliament voted to reject problematic provision had occurred. all but one of the rights-infringing provisions raised during the advocacy, including all provisions Following tabling of the Bill, the Southern African mandating HIV testing, and criminalising both Litigation Centre (SALC), an HIV Justice Global negligent and ‘deliberate’ HIV exposure and Consortium partner, coordinated draft submissions transmission. However, the Bill has retained the on behalf of numerous agencies and raised objections legal duty for PLHIV to take ART, although there to all of the problematic provisions in the Bill is no criminal penalty for not doing so. at a technical consultation hosted by UNAIDS Malawi. When a subsequent version of the Bill included some This case provides a prime example of the value of the punitive provisions, SALC was there to react. to Robert Carr Funds in being responsive to SALC and ARASA worked with local partners to emerging threats and is also a reminder that refine messaging and coordinate media coverage. sometimes preventing regress is just as important These efforts kept the Bill in limbo through the a ‘success’ as achieving progress. close of the Parliamentary session.
40 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 4. Influencing ISP access to quality services
Strong networks use their capacity to influence at the local, regio- nal and global levels. For ISPs – who struggle to access rights-based, quality HIV services – and the networks who work on their behalf, advocacy on access to and quality of services is an important tool for assuring that ISPs can get the services they require. This section describes the environments surrounding HIV and related services for ISPs, and how support from the Robert Carr Fund allowed networks to respond.
4.1. In several LAC countries, integration and What was the state of institutionalization of services was recorded as positive progress:
access to rights-based, • Ecuador has decentralized services and is providing quality HIV services for a more holistic approach to HIV care, • Peru has instituted a permanent program in the ISPs? primary care setting which conducts outreach to sex workers, and
Nearly half of reporting networks noted minor (37%) • El Salvador has logged decreasing diagnosis of HIV or major (9%) improvements in access to rights-based, alongside increased comprehensiveness of services. quality HIV services for ISPs in 2017. Major progress Elsewhere, Monaco, Senegal and Kenya all introduced included: opioid substitution therapy (OST), and in Ukraine the • The introduction and uptake of new technologies, government committed to paying for OST for the first including PrEP in LAC countries 18, and self-testing time. and other point-of-care technologies, were seen as major improvements. About a quarter of grantees reported no significant • In other settings, such as Zambia, long-available changes in access to services. The remaining grantees technologies such as viral load testing are finally reported either minor (17%) or major (9%) regress in being offered more regularly; although other the access to care environment. countries, including Uganda, Tanzania, and • In Zimbabwe, stock-outs of 2nd-line antiretrovirals Zimbabwe, are still struggling to make these (ARVs) have become commonplace, despite being services available free-of-charge 19. in violation of the constitution.
18 http://www.iasociety.org/Web/WebContent/File/EduFundArgentina_Beatriz_Grinsztejn.pdf and http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhiv/article/PIIS2352-3018(18)30011-0/fulltext 19 http://www.aidsmap.com/Viral-load-testing-capacity-still-weak-in-sub-Saharan-Africa-7-country-study-finds/page/3107907/
INFLUENCING ISP ACCESS TO QUALITY SERVICES 41 • In the realm of harm reduction, the number of dangerously violent rhetoric, but also limiting countries providing needle-syringe programs (NSP) access to services for the clients who depended and OST stagnated between 2014 and 2016 and on those 40 centers. Egypt and Indonesia both increasing prevalence of HIV among PWUD experienced the closure specifically of harm accompanied this trend. reduction services: Egypt because of foreign funding of programs, and Indonesia ostensibly • These situations come alongside increased dis- due to changes in the drug scene and lack of cussions about user fees for PWUD services after demand for OST. Global Fund support ceases. In Tanzania, 40 health
centers providing HIV services were shut down under the accusation of promoting homosexuality – presenting not only a problem in terms of
Bringing Youth and Adolescent Issues to Light
P2Z was prolific in generation of • "HIV treatment and care services for adolescents: evidence in 2017. Documentation a situational analysis of 218 facilities in 23 sub- Saharan African countries" 23 and of three promising practices draw attention to issues related to access • "What is it going to take to move youth-related HIV programme policies into practice in Africa?" 24 to and quality of care for youth and adolescents: P2Z further produced a Clinic-CBO Collaboration (C3) toolkit launched together with an online course, “Be-Connected”, that is transferable to accessible • "Peer support for adolescents and young people to P2Z partners for community engagement. 25 living with HIV," 20
• "Integrating HIV and SRHR services for adoles- In addition, a second edition of PATAs "Children, cents and young people living with HIV," 21 and Adolescent & HIV: a simple toolkit for community • "Health provider sensitization for adolescents and health workers and peer supporters" was finalised young people living with HIV." 22 and included both technical updates as well as on sexual and reproductive health integration, These guidance documents complement two peer- health provider sensitization and greater focus reviewed papers published by P2Z in the Journal of on adolescent and young people living with HIV. 26 the International AIDS Society. The papers were the results of a situational analysis on adolescent These documents, with ample actionable evidence treatment and care services which informed the and guidance, provide a rich set of resources for World Health Organization (WHO) adolescent improvement of access to and quality of care for treatment guidelines 2016. youth and adolescents.
20 http://teampata.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Peer-led-Services-Promising-Practices.pdf 21 http://teampata.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/pp2.pdf 22 http://teampata.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/170913_PP8_HCW-Sensitization_WEB.pdf 23 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28530038 24 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28530047 25 http://teampata.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/C3-Tookit_WEB.compressed.pdf 26 https://teampata.org/portfolio/3548/ 42 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 4.2. How did networks positively influence access to HIV services?
As with legal, policy and social change, Many other grantees (53%) used those strategies affecting changes in access to and to implement a campaign or educational activity, or utilized a UN or national process to influence either quality of services can b a long and demand for or access to services. complicated process (for more details, • In the Caribbean, CVC launched the “Do You see page 35 'Steps in Strategic Dare?” advocacy campaign, targeting policy- Advocacy'). makers, civil society organizations, and ISPs to support joint actions between government and Nine of the reporting networks (25%) generated civil society to attain 90-90-90. credible evidence on which they could base an • Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS (EWNA, ICW) advocacy campaign or educational activity. conducted a campaign against gender-based • ITPC West Africa (ITPC-ARASA Consortium) con- violence called “No excuse for violence.” ducted needs mapping which was used to inform • IDPC (Harm Reduction Consortium) continued a successful bid for a Global Fund regional grant. the implementation of the “Support Don’t Punish” • The Harm Reduction Consortium developed a Full campaign 27 – with advocacy actions held in more Spectrum Harm Reduction concept and generated than 200 cities around the world in June 2017. valuable evidence for the “From Streets to • The Peers 2 Zero (P2Z) campaign, highlighting the Government” campaign. power of Peer Support in service delivery, has • The Positive Networks Consortium supported been integrated across the REACH and READY+ Environmental Scans in six countries in 2016 and programs, showing a positive impact on access to seven countries in 2017 to inform advocacy on services for adolescents and young people living HIV service needs. with HIV (A/YPLHIV). AY+ has also implemented a campaign on HIV and TB in Uganda, Tanzania, • African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Swaziland. Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks) utilized a regional consultation process to develop • Global actors, such as ITPC Global (ITPC-ARASA an African Key Populations Scorecard to hold Consortium), continue to successfully submit patent governments to account for their performance oppositions, which have been successful in securing against global guidance. authorization for generic manufacture of TDF/FTC.
Seven networks (19%) developed an advocacy Only one network reported documented change strategy or campaign to improve health outcomes in number of new clients accessing services or for ISPs, or gained access to a process by which improvement in client retention: CARAM Asia they could influence those outcomes. reported 10-20% increases in HIV testing uptake by migrants in hospitals in Bangladesh, Cambodia, • International Committee on the Rights of Sex Pakistan and Sri Lanka, where CARAM Asia has been Workers in Europe (ICRSE, Sex Worker Networks working closely to build hospital sensitivity to this ISP. Consortium) developed a Strategy on Health, HIV and Wellbeing.
• CVC supported the development of an advocacy strategy for the Caribbean Trans Community.
27 http://www.supportdontpunish.org
INFLUENCING ISP ACCESS TO QUALITY SERVICES 43 4.3. • Harm Reduction Consortium partners generated evidence on the quality of harm reduction in How did networks prisons, and used it at the national, regional and international levels to convince existing prison positively influence the monitoring bodies to include harm reduction in quality of rights-based their work. • In Asia Pacific, APTN put the Trans Health Blueprint HIV services? to work, and services in the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore responded with services that reference the Blueprint, while workshops in Samoa Six networks (18%) generated credible and Tonga laid the foundation for community action to use the Blueprint for advocacy. evidence on which they could base • In Eurasia, EKHN launched the Eurasian Gender advocacy campaigns on. Academy with the aim of generating greater gender-sensitivity in the provision of services • ITPC West Africa (ITPC-ARASA Consortium) gen- for ISPs. erated data through its country-level and region- al-level community treatment observatories, which Several grantees engaged in development of or can be used as evidence for improving access to training on “implementation tools,” commonly known treatment for PLHIV. The simple act of implement- as the SWIT, MSMIT, TRANSIT and I-DUIT: ing the observatories has been valuable to raising • Sex Worker Networks Consortium partners decision-maker awareness on treatment quality continued to work diligently to roll-out the SWIT and access issues and has lent more weight to and use the knowledge imparted for advocacy for community groups, and data produced by the better access to and higher quality of services. observatories will provide additional opportunities • INPUD conducted trainings designed to teach for affecting change. community how to effectively use the utilized the • The Eurasian Harm Reduction Association support- I-DUIT to strengthen the meaningful involvement ed monitoring of satisfaction of service users in of community in HIV programming, and as an advo- Kyrgyzstan, while the Eurasian Network of People cacy tool for access to rights-affirming services. who Use Drugs (both Harm Reduction Consortium) • Members of the Consortium of MSM and Transgen- produced the “From Streets to Government” coun- der Networks worked collectively on putting the try reports to demonstrate the negative influence MSMIT into action. This involved translation into of drug laws on access to harm reduction services. and training in Portuguese (GayLatino and Grupo • Under the Positive Networks Consortium, GNP+ Dignidade in Brazil) and Russian (ECOM, throughout contributed to building the next generation of Eastern Europe and Central Asia). PLHIV leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia, by strengthen- • IRGT (Consortium of MSM and Transgender ing PLHIV capacity in programmatic and technical Networks) continued supporting TRANSIT trainings issues; and in Estonia, ECUO supported the to provide community members and stakeholders development of the Estonian National Community with valuable information to improve the quality Advocacy Plan as a tool to guide communications of HIV services for transgender people at the with decision-makers. regional and local levels.
Nine networks (27%) either implemented an advocacy Eleven networks (33%) reported achieving changes in campaign or gained a formal seat of influence on a access to or quality of services for ISPs, due to their decision-making body. advocacy efforts. • GayLatino (Consortium of MSM and Transgender • ITPC’s regional network members (ITPC-ARASA Networks) led media campaigns developed by and Consortium) effectively phased out stavudine use targeting young LGBTQI populations. in India and strengthened access to routine viral
44 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Improving Quality of ART in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
In 2016, just over half of people living negotiations with UNAIDS and WHO to acknowledge with HIV in the Eastern Europe and that newer medications such as dolutegravir must be included into treatment protocols and new WHO Central Asia (EECA) region had access guidelines on HIV treatment for EECA countries. to essential medicines. For many years, Subsequently, the World Health Organization and high quality ARV regimens have been UNAIDS announced approval of a revolutionary pricing agreement that will facilitate access to unaffordable in this region, and even the first affordable and all-purpose single-pill HIV many stakeholders in the region did regimen including dolutegravir for the public sector not support the idea of transitioning in low and middle-income countries. Pricing will be around US$75 per person per year. The pricing to more modern treatment regimens, agreement will heavily influence national HIV preferring Efavirenz in the first-line treatment programs throughout the region. therapy. This work would not have been possible without A lengthy campaign undertaken by all the ECUO both core and strategic activity support from the activists in the 15 countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Robert Carr Fund – and yet it is not complete. Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, The next steps for ECUO will be to unite its efforts Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Russian with all the stakeholders and immediately and Federation, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan – effectively work with national teams that prepare as well as the specialists of ECUO Secretariat governmental treatment guidelines, so that integrase involved collecting and analyzing the statistical inhibitors, particularly dolutegravir, will be included and factual data related to ARV availability, treatment into essential medicines lists and into clinical schemes, changes in the schemes despite the medical guidelines as first-line drugs for treatment-naive indications, procurements of ARV, pricing policies and patients. In this way, ECUO will continue to use the number of treatment interruptions due Robert Carr Funds to increase access to high-quality to side effects. With these data in hand, ECUO ARV regimens for people living with HIV in EECA. managed to develop a statement and succeed in
load testing; contributed to national strategy • PATA (P2Z) supported the engagement of 75 development in Russia; and at the global level adolescent and youth PLHIV peer supporters in implemented three major campaigns centered 45 clinics, which, together with health provider around access to treatment. sensitization training, has supported the transition • ECUO (Positive Network Consortium) advocat- to more adolescent- and youth-oriented services. ed for acknowledgement by WHO and UNAIDS Additional results are scheduled to be presented that dolutegravir must be included into new WHO at AIDS 2018. guidelines on treatment, with the aim of impacting The remaining seven networks (21%) reported that a treatment protocols at the national level. better quality of services was received by ISPs, linked to their advocacy efforts.
INFLUENCING ISP ACCESS TO QUALITY SERVICES 45 4.3.1 society can take on some of the roles traditionally What did networks learn about filled by government service providers may be a win-win situation. influencing ISP access to rights- ▸ A range of arguments can – and should – be made based, quality HIV services? for increasing access to and quality of services. Similar to the lesson above, grantees learned that ▸ Demand creation through ISP awareness is a power- everyone has their own motivations and goals, and ful tool to improve access to services. While use different arguments might be needed for different of international evidence and strategic advocacy audiences, even when trying to accomplish the by networks and other civil society organizations same thing. Arguments around public health, human is usually necessary, without demand from ISPs for rights, cost-effectiveness and political favorability improved access to or quality of services, efforts may all be needed on a single issue, depending on may be slower or ultimately unsuccessful. Investing the audience. in education and mobilization of communities to demand improved services can be a two-for-one ▸ Stigma is still a major barrier – and correct approach by which more advocates are generated information helps. Despite decades of familiarity while there is also assurance the improved services with HIV and AIDS, many health care providers will be utilized. and others (including policy makers) still do not understand the most basic aspects of HIV, and still ▸ Forging alliances and finding mutual benefit emote highly stigmatizing attitudes. At the same can win more favor than demands and threats. time, ISPs still report that stigma is a major barrier. In some cases, networks found that working with But some networks found that taking time to break decision-makers to identify common goals or down lingering misperceptions of HIV was a strong problems was more effective than demanding that first step towards reducing stigma, and ultimately decision-makers affect change. Particularly in making services more accessible. cases where civil society may have a crucial role to play in service delivery, offering to ‘help’ decision-makers by finding a way in which civil
46 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 5. Influencing Resources for ISPs
Strong networks use their capacity to influence at the local, regional and global levels. For ISPs – whose services and programs are often underfunded and supported wholly by external sources – and the networks who work on their behalf, advocacy on resource availability and accountability is an important tool for assuring that ISP-specific HIV responses are adequate and sustainable. This section describes the environments surrounding resources for ISP services and programming, and how support from the Robert Carr Fund allowed networks to respond.
5.1. Approximately a third of grantees reported no change What was the resource in funding environment. In some cases, this was a negative, such as sex worker communities which environment like for ISP continue to face challenges in accessing funding for community-driven services. In other cases, net neu- services and programs? tral funding still yielded positive results for communi- ties: in Estonia, advocacy resulted in the engagement of peer educators through existing state funding, The situation with funding availability grew increas- thereby improving services within existing resources. ingly dire in 2017: many grantees (31%) reported major regress, and an additional 8% reported minor regress. Some grantees (23%) reported minor progress in Resources continue to dwindle in middle-income funding environment, with a small minority (4%) re- countries, where Global Fund eligibility is increasingly porting major progress. These primarily reflected rare. government pledges to expand domestic funding. • In Ecuador, Peru, El Salvador, Colombia and Nica- However, in other settings, such as Malawi, Swaziland ragua, funding for sex worker programs has already and Tanzania, where Global Fund and/or PEPFAR fund- ceased, as Global Fund funding is no longer availa- ing will remain, improvements include increased grant ble. funding allocated to ISPs, thanks to active advocacy and CCM participation by Robert Carr Fund grantees • Other major donors were implicated in decreasing (ARASA). funds as well: notably, the US government, which has reduced its support for some countries, and • As an example, in Botswana the 2017 PEPFAR has stringent limitations on how SRHR funds can be Country Operational Plan allocation included spent, which effectively limits access to funding $145,000 for community-led sex worker interven- for some service providers. tions, and an additional $200,000 was allocated to
INFLUENCING RESOURCES FOR ISPS 47 a consortium of organizations working on ISP Some grantees also noted an increased availability of wissues; other civil society partners working with funding for advocacy from the Global Fund, including ISPs received $150, 000 for service provision, regional grants and other special initiatives, and the and a $45,000 allocation was made for human launch of regional and global programs like PITCH and rights-related interventions. Bridging the Gaps.
• In Central Asia, network partners (Eurasian However, there continued to be lack of funds in certain Regional Consortium) report increased areas. Some grantees noted a long-standing lack of engagement in budget processes, and ability funding for youth-led advocacy, treatment literacy, to positively influence the procurement of key and human rights. Lack of core funding from most commodities, including ARVs and rapid test kits donors was also noted as a major impediment to con- for community-based testing. ducting effective advocacy and enabling environment • M-Coalition (Consortium of MSM and Transgender work. Sex worker advocates (Sex Worker Networks Networks) currently coordinates the MENA Consortium) noted a steady decrease in Global Fund coalition of key population networks in the support for sex worker-led advocacy, in particular. communications and regional dialogues for the In addition, the removal of multi-country grants from new Global Fund Regional Grant, with a focus Global Fund’s Africa portfolio, the sudden withdrawal on mobilizing domestic resources for of the advocacy grant planned for MENAHRA, and sustainability. uncertainty about the future of multi-country grants in Asia, have a major impact on these regions’ ability A notable exception for this is transgender to maintain civil society responses. While domestic populations: as this group is still fighting to be funds may be increasing for service provision in the recognized as a distinct key population in most wake of the exit of Global Fund and other donors, countries, they are disproportionately excluded domestic funding for advocacy and enabling environ- from most decision-making processes. ment is inherently limited, and other alternatives will need to be found to sustain these activities.
48 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 5.2 How did networks contribute to increased resource availability and accountability?
A limited number of networks have • Eurasian Regional Consortium, together with other begun to engage in the area of regional community networks, developed a joint advocacy campaign for the AIDS 2018 conference, resource availability and use, and targeting the sustainability of financing and they are notably concentrated in overcoming barriers to services for all ISPs. geographic areas where external donor funding is decreasing and there is The MSM Global Forum (Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks) conducted advocacy along- an urgent need to scale up domestic side civil society partners and consortium members, funding. Networks which are engaged resulting in increased financial commitments in this work are still in the early stages delivered to HIV responses, for instance the addition of developing this practice. of a $15 million special initiative of the Community, Rights and Gender division of the Global Fund during the 2017-2019 allocation period. • The Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA; Eurasian Regional Consortium) supported partners in Estonia and Armenia to develop advocacy plans 5.2.1. for increased domestic financing. EHRA is also working to develop a Budget Advocacy Community What did grantees learn about Guide, which by the end of 2017 was in draft being reviewed by a regional Budget Advocacy Expert influencing availability and Group and PWUD focus groups. accountability of resources • ECOM (Eurasian Regional Consortium) launched a for ISPs? funding gap assessment in the Eastern European and Central Asian region. ▸ Resource tracking is difficult in some places. While there may be a strong sense – or even • The Eastern Europe and Central Asia Union of evidence – that there are unmet resource needs, People Living with HIV (ECUO; Eurasian Regional without reliable financial data, it can be challenging Consortium) have also supported PLHIV in Estonia to make an articulate case for increased funding. to engage in advocacy for domestic financing. There may be a need to invest in systems to better • Harm Reduction International (Harm Reduction track resourcing and expenditure. Consortium) used Robert Carr Funds to support ▸ Communities of ISPs need basic literacy on budget the development of The Global State of Harm processes in order to serve as effective advocates. Reduction Funding, and to undertake further While the details of national budget-making may resource monitoring in seven Asian and be complex, and some ISP communities typically eighteen EU countries. have limited formal education, it is both ethical • MSMGF (Consortium of MSM and Transgender and effective to find a way to involve those most Networks) conducted monitoring of global affected in advocacy around resource mobilization. spending on HIV and advocated for increased This include the engagement of ISPs at the local investment into ISP communities 28. levels where advocacy is being conducted.
28 http://msmgf.org/advocacy/policy/global-fund/
INFLUENCING RESOURCES FOR ISPS 49 50 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 6. Value of Core Funding From the Robert Carr Fund
6.1 empowering communities to understand issues related to sustainability, transition, and budget Building Institutional advocacy (Eurasian Regional Consortium). These activities were all made possible through Capacity through support for staff positions or strategic activity Core Funding funding, provided by the Robert Carr Fund. Amplifying voices by listening to and working with communities on the front lines, to ‘connect the The heart of the Robert Carr Fund dots’ to raise issues that are either emerging or approach is to provide core funding, have long been neglected by decision-makers or funders. This occurred through grantee-led which allows networks to grow in research on youth perceptions of emerging tech- unique and responsive ways. nologies like PrEP and self-testing (ICW); building The value of building institutional capacity at the community level to assure that capacity, tailored to each network’s transgender people have the tools to participate and advocate at the local level (REDLACTRANS); need, is that networks become and generating evidence of the harms of HIV- more resilient and better able to related stigma to assure that national strategies fulfil their role in driving the Virtuous include the issue (INERELA+). Grantees also helped to build the core institutional capacity of their Cycle (see Figure 2). During the 2016- membership, such as through support for a 2107 reporting period, this was best planning, strategy and governance meeting for exemplified through: EuroNPUD (Harm Reduction Consortium). It is the flexibility of Robert Carr Funding which allows
Building bridges from global messages and these matters to be addressed, filling critical gaps guidance down to the grassroots level, assuring which go unaddressed by other funders. that communities on the ground understand and can actively participate in important issues. Generating momentum by consolidating experi- Grantees accomplished this by conducting ence and evidence from the local level up to the trainings on the SWIT (Sex Worker Networks regional and global level. Grantees accomplished Consortium); developing guidance and tools on this by working with the Global Fund to adapt and institutional gender policies (EKHN); holding integrate the Clinic-CBO Collaboration Toolkit dialogues on gender-based violence against alongside their programming (P2Z); raising the women and girls living with HIV (INERELA+); need for recognition of migrants as a high-risk developing a faith-based, stigma-reducing population at national and regional levels (CARAM manual for caregivers of PLHIV (IAM); and Asia); and consolidating learning and bringing to
VALUE OF CORE FUNDING FROM THE ROBERT CARR FUND 51 light human rights violations on the regional level through the Shared Incident Database (CVC). There were also key situations in which regional- Drawing on level momentum was particularly important – specifically in environments of severe threat, Diversity to Bring such as the Philippines and Cambodia, raising Issues to Light the issue of human rights violations and mobilization of the regional and global The Consortium of MSM and Transgender Networks community to react to local concerns was a draws from a wide range of consortium members, from safer alternative to conducting direct, local geography to populations. Member networks of the advocacy. Consortium bring experience and expertise across technical subjects, geographic areas, communities, Uniting and solidifying for change by building and programmatic interventions. global-level movements and partnership, and advocating for change at the highest levels. It is this diversity, the consortium reports, that allows Grantees played this role in a variety of ways, from it to effectively raise the profile of under-addressed participation in the UNAIDS PCB (Positive Networks or emerging MSM and transgender issues within HIV, Consortium); to driving agendas at and beyond the human rights and sexual health programming and UN High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS (Consorti- policy-making. By identifying issues, consolidating um of MSM Transgender Networks) and UNGASS on evidence from a range of members, and developing Drugs (Harm Reduction Consortium); building new tools or coalitions to advocate for community alliances across global movements and partners to priorities, the Consortium serves as a means to protect the human rights of sex workers, including coordinate the moral and practical support needed the full decriminalization of sex work (Sex Worker to advocate publicly on issues which, for individual Networks Consortium); and creating new venues networks, might otherwise be too challenging or for uniting on specific issues, such as the Chapter even dangerous to undertake alone. on Younger Women and Girls within ICW.
More details on the Consortium’s experience and value are available in their case study, Unity in Diversity 29.
29 http://msmgf.org/wp-content/ uploads/2018/05/Unity-in-Diversity.pdf 52 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 6.2 Leveraging Additional Resources to Fuel the Virtuous Cycle
The Robert Carr Fund grantees are increasingly adept And when the funds from other donors arrive, the at leveraging additional funds through the strategic absorptive capacity is there for rapid growth and investments made by the Robert Carr Fund. Grantees program scale-up. Growing networks such as the used Robert Carr Funds to catalyze additional funding Eurasian Coalition on Male Health and REDLACTRANS, on specific and emerging issues. From the Elton John and mature networks such as International Treatment AIDS Foundation’s support to combat criminalization Preparedness Coalition among others, became the of HIV (HIV Justice Global Consortium); to funding Principal Recipients of regional Global Fund grants. from the Global Fund Community, Rights and Gender By supporting networks to grow their key staff (CRG) Special Initiative to host the Eastern Europe through core funding, to build their financial and and Central Asia Regional CRG Platform (Eurasian operational systems, and to increase their technical Harm Reduction Association); to a regional Global capacity, Robert Carr Fund catalyzes additional Fund Grant to International Treatment Preparedness investments, which sustain well-organized and Coalition to build capacity of communities to monitor capacitated civil society and community networks HIV care and services through a regional treatment and activates the virtuous cycle of influence that observatory across 11 countries in West Africa, grant- fuses the divides between global, regional and local ees are putting their staff and systems to work in actors – an indispensable role of networks to achieve generating additional funds to support and advance local impact through global and regional action. their valuable work.
VALUE OF CORE FUNDING FROM THE ROBERT CARR FUND 53 54 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 7. Learning Through Production of this Report
In the spirit of monitoring and evaluating for learning (MEL), the production of this report has itself been part of a critical learning process for the Robert Carr Fund.
The information in this report was generated from analysis of MEL reporting data and annual narrative reports produced by each Robert Carr Fund grantee. However, an instrumental part of this report’s production was the annual Collective Impact Reflections Workshop, held in Amsterdam on 13-15 May with participation from members of the Robert Carr Fund collective, including grantees, funding partners, members of the International Steering Committee and Program Advisory Panel, as well as the Robert Carr Fund Secretariat. At this workshop, the collective reviewed early analysis of MEL reporting data, but also engaged in collective reflection on both their operations during the reporting period and also use of the MEL framework for the first time.
From this reflection came some key learning points work, including indicators, is final, there are still for the Robert Carr Fund Secretariat and the opportunities to refine some of the supporting collective as a whole: definitions for indicators, as well as improve the tools to allow for better and more consistent data capture. This should be done with an eye on im- • Consistency in reporting to allow for planning and proving user experience, rather than fundamentally reduce burden. Grantees have had to be extremely changing any of the reporting requirements or flexible in adapting to changing reporting styles frameworks. and requirements as the Robert Carr Fund has fi-
nalized a MEL framework and all tools to support it. • Story-telling is an art, and both inspiration and The point is clearly taken that reporting mechanis- freedom are necessary. The current MEL frame- ms need to remain consistent from this point for- work is an exercise in attempting to quantify that ward, in order to allow grantees the opportunity to which defies quantification – namely, the com- effectively plan and utilize resources for reporting. plex contributions of networks to ISP health and well-being, often in challenging environments. • Refinements are still needed within the MEL tools. While bringing structure and some level of quan- While it is understood by all that the MEL frame- tification to this process has been valuable, it is
LEARNING THROUGH PRODUCTION OF THIS REPORT 55 crucial that the Robert Carr Fund safeguards a While the Secretariat has made large strides in space for qualitative story-telling and synthesis creating opportunities for virtual connection, of sometimes-disparate activities into a cohesive future Collective Impact Reflections Workshops narrative. This must be done by re-thinking requi- (or other face-to-face meetings of grantees) rements for case studies (e.g. allowing differenti- should consider how to better facilitate these ating various types and modalities of case studies, connections. This year’s session which connected intended for different audiences), as well as conti- grantees and funding partners in a ‘speed nuing to facilitate capacity-building of grantees to dating’-type arrangement may be considered lead their own reflective processes. for adaptation to connect grantees working on similar or complementary issues in the future.
• Opportunities still exist to better connect grant- ees within the collective. Across geography, ISPs, and different issues, there appear to be opportuni- ties to better share resources and expertise.
56 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 8. Conclusion
The Robert Carr Fund’s new MEL framework and process, including a joint impact reflections process, has captured an image of a collective which is working with increasing coordination, efficiency and effectiveness to achieve improved health, inclusion and wellbeing for ISPs. Networks funded by the Fund are achieving systems-wide influence by amplifying the voice of ISPs, and are ensuring that ISPs on the ground can meaningfully contribute to decision-making and action within the global HIV response.
It is clearer than ever why regional and global networks are critical to an inclusive, effective response – and why investing in these networks is a good value for money.
CONCLUSION 57 9. Financial report
Figure A: Total RCF Expenditure in 2016-2017
$ 466 K 2%
Grants
$ 3,1 M 7% Fund Management Agent & Secretariat
Monitoring, Evaluation for Learning (MEL)
$ 18 M 91%
Figure B: Total RCF Grants Expenditure in 2016-2017
Expenditure $ 2,5 M 14% Balance
$ 15,1 M $ 15,1 M 86% 86%
58 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Figure C: RCF Grants in 2016-2017 - Core vs. Activity Expenditures
Activity Expenditure
Core Expenditure
$ 7,4 M 49%
$ 7,7 M 51%
Figure D: 2016-2017 Grantee Activity Expenditure per Outcome Areas
2% Institutionally stronger ISP and civil society networks and consortia 6% 6% Improved and sustainable advocacy for ISP and civil society
44% Increased influence of ISP and civil society networks
26% More enabling rights-affirming environment for ISPs
More accessible rights-based services for ISPs
16% Resources made available and spent properly for ISPs
Better health, inclusion and social wellbeing for ISPs
FINANCIAL REPORT 59 Figure E: 2016-2017 Grantee Activity Expenditure per Category of Activity
1% Organizational / Consortium 10% Strengthening
27% Tools and/or Capacity Building
17% Uniting and Mobilization
Advocacy
Service Delivery 14% Information and Dissemination 31%
60 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 10. ANNEX 1: Robert Carr Fund’s Theory of Change
Core funding provided to regional and global networks that address HIV and human rights needs of ISPs (at national, regional and global level)
Improved and Institutionally sustainable advocacy stronger ISP and capacity for ISP and civil society networks civil society networks and consortia and consortia
Increased influence of ISP and civil society networks and consortia to make changes with regards to HIV and human right issues
Resources made More enabling More accessible, available and spent rights-affirming right-based,quality properly to create better social, policy and HIV services and conditions for ISPs with legal environment programs for ISPs regards to HIV and for ISPs human rights
Better health, inclusion and social wellbeing for ISPs
THEORY OF CHANGE 61 11. ANNEX 2: Robert Carr Fund’s 2016-2018 Grantee Overview
GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE
GRANTEE TYPE OF NETWORK Eastern West Asia Eastern Latin Middle East and and and Europe America and Southern Central Pacific and Central and the North Africa Africa Asia Caribbean Africa
1 ITPC-ARASA Consortium Global Consortium ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ of networks
2 Consortium of MSM and Global Consortium Transgender Networks of networks ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 3 Sex Worker Networks Global Consortium ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Consortium of networks 4 Eurasian Regional Consortium Regional Consortium ✓ of Networks
5 The Harm Reduction Consortium Global Consortium ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ of networks
6 HIV Justice Global Consortium Global Consortium ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ of networks
7 Positive Network Consortium Global Consortium ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ of networks
8 Consortium of networks led by Regional Consortium ✓ Young People of Networks
9 International Network of Global network Religious Leaders Living with ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ or Affected by HIV and Aids
10 Asia Pacific Transgender Regional Consortium Network and Pacific Sexual of Networks ✓ Diversity Network
11 International Network of People Global Consortium Who Use Drugs (INPUD) and of networks Asian Network of People Who ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Use Drugs (ANPUD)
12 Peers to Zero Coalition Regional Consortium ✓ of Networks ✓
13 Inclusive and Affirmative Regional network ✓ Ministries
14 International Community of Global Consortium Women Living with HIV of networks ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
15 Eastern European Key Regional network Population Health Network ✓
16 Caribbean Vulnerable Regional network Communities Coalition ✓
17 Red Latinoamericana y del Regional network Caribe de Personas Trans ✓
18 CARAM Asia Regional network ✓
62 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 11. ANNEX 2: Robert Carr Fund’s 2016-2018 Grantee Overview
INADEQUATELY SERVED POPULATIONS
TOTAL GRANT GRANT People Sex People Lesbian, Trans- Prisoners Women Youth Migrants People Other GRANT AMOUNT AMOUNT living workers who use Gay, gender and Girls who are who are living in AMOUNT 2016 2017 with HIV drugs Bisexual, and who are ISP ISP rural 2016-2018 MSM, Intersex ISP areas Queer
1 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ $ 2.517.120 $ 883.200 $ 969.150
2 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ $ 2.992.500 $ 1.050.000 $ 2.517.120
3 ✓ $ 1.898.100 $ 666.000 $ 710.131
4 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ $ 1.516.200 $ 532.000 $ 944.612
5 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ $ 1.658.700 $ 582.000 $ 700.186
6 ✓ $ 1.516.200 $ 532.000 $ 597.316
7 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ $ 1.898.100 $ 666.000 $ 758.154
8 ✓ ✓ ✓ $ 1.116.060 $ 391.600 $ 396.261
9 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ $ 518.700 $ 182.000 $ 193.743
10 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ $ 473.100 $ 166.000 $ 202.321
11 ✓ $ 949.620 $ 333.200 $ 384.568
12 ✓ ✓ $ 855.000 $ 300.000 $ 329.183
13 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ $ 376.200 $ 132.000 $ 134.368
14 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ $ 2.726.256 $ 1.000.000 $ 1.225.114
15 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ $ 598.500 $ 210.000 $ 236.315
16 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ $ 598.500 $ 210.000 $ 200.176
17 ✓ $ 427.500 $ 150.000 $ 162.285
18 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ $ 473.100 $ 166.000 $ 182.800
TOTALS $ 23.109.456 $ 8.152.000 $ 9.446.983
GRANTEE OVERVIEW 63 : Risks and risk mitigation
12. ANNEX 3
Risks and risk mitigation
The risks faced by the Fund and the grantees mostly fall under the categories of financial and/or organizational risks. Such risks could include corruption, fraud and mismanagement taking place at the grantee level or internal organizational challenges such as high staff turnover. Such scenarios can negatively impact upon organisational stability and attainment of results. Furthermore some grantees may operate in challenging political environments or in situations of civil unrest which could negatively influence project activities and the safety of the people undertaking such work. Strong risk and mitigation strategies are key to preventing and managing such risks.
Corruption, Fraud and committed are available to support grantees’ work in scaling-up services and protecting the rights of Mismanagement (CFM) the ISP community. The Fund in collaboration with The Robert Carr Fund has in the last two years Aidsfonds, as the Fund Management Agent, have prioritized the areas of CFM prevention and manage- worked to further improve due diligence processes ment in order to ensure a consistent and compliant and CFM policies operationalization, including approach. At ISC level the RCF installed an Accounta- through hire of qualified additional project controllers bility Committee comprised of two ISC members and involvement of external expertise e.g. Humentum, tasked with overseeing the work of the RCF to support capacity building and monitoring visits etc. secretariat with regard to (alleged) fraud and misuse The CFM policy stipulates that, if necessary, in close of resources. The Accountability Committee is kept collaboration with the grantee in question, an informed of all closed and open CFM investigations external forensic audit will be commissioned and, and provides advice and guidance on the application if appropriate, legal measures will be taken and of the CFM policies and procedures to CFM cases. the funds unaccounted for reclaimed. The FMA The Accountability Committee also has a report has also convened an inter-departmental standing back function to the broader ISC on outcomes/ working group with representatives from the RCF progress in addressing CFM cases. The full ISC is Secretariat, Project Control and Finance Department, responsible for ensuring all policies related to CFM Policies and Grants department, that mobilizes a are appropriately implemented. Preventing and rapid and efficient response to any suspicion and tracking CFM is a priority, to ensure all funds allegations of CFM.
64 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 : Risks and risk mitigation
12. ANNEX 3 In addition, 2018 Request for Proposals will include to limit flight travel, using teleconferences and bolt- stringent requirements for applicants with relation on visits to grantees with other meetings as well as to risk management and on preventing and handling using Zoom/Skype interviews with grantees in place CFM cases. This will include an obligation to make of site visits where appropriate. RCF uses recycled contractual agreements between the lead and paper, but printing is minimized. Paper and plastic partner/member organizations as sub-recipients, an waste is recycled. inclusion of CFM clause in the consortia MoU and a commitment to developing and operationalizing CFM Donor income policies in line with the over-arching Aidsfonds/RCF An on-going risk to the overall Fund is receiving CFM policy (furthermore, successful applicants will less income than expected, or receiving it later than be contractually obliged to do so). This guarantees planned. Exchange rate currency fluctuations have that networks consider the implications of CFM negatively impacted the actual income received thoroughly before submitting a proposal and know by RCF in 2017. These developments are closely their obligations and duties from the start. monitored, and RCF works to minimize these risks by transfering funding to grantees only after it has The RCF Secretariat continues to make regular been received from the funding partners. In order monitoring site visits and ensures all grantees have to further manage risks related to exchange rate whistle blowing procedures in place. Any suspected fluctuations an Exchange Change Rate Policy or alleged misuse of funds is reported immediately to was developed in 2017 to better manage income the accountability committee and RCF donors and expectations and to mitigate exchange rate losses thoroughly investigated by the RCF staff and/or as much as possible. an independent forensic audit team. All grantees receiving funding continue to be subjected to due In the case of currency fluctuations experienced on diligence to ensure the risk of fraud is low. As of end the part of the grantees, it is contractually stipulated of 2017, RCF strengthened its contract Terms & that it is the responsibility of grantees to manage Conditions for project agreements for 2018 to such fluctuations. Gains and losses should be reported better fit the needs of grantees. One of the improved in the audited statement of income and expenditure procedures will involve audit requirements, which as well as any deviations greater than 10%. will require annual project audits for grants above USD50,000 and to be drawn up in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Resource mobilization and In the case of sub-grantees, the audit requirements sustainability for the consortia supported by RCF is to be better The RCF initiated a recommitment process in 2017. stipulated, ensuring that sub-grants are part of the In order to address the on-going sustainability of the financial statements and audit opinion. The Terms and Fund the ISC established a fundraising sub-commit- Conditions will be regularly reviewed and improved tee, led by the Vice-Chair of the ISC and comprised to incorporate the latest lessons learnt from the due of donor, civil society and secretariat members. diligence and monitoring processes. The committee agreed to a rolling fundraising cycle, tasked with ensuring a successful recommitment As a result of these improved policies, procedures and rocess for the 2019-2021 cycle, as well as engaging strengthening of grantees capacity we have been able new donors into the pool on a rolling basis to better to successfully monitor and efficiently resolve and manage funding gaps and create a more stable close all the CFM cases that were open in 2017. fundraising cycle for the Fund.
Climate and Environment Human Rights and Gender RCF endeavours to minimalize the impact of Equality building, transport and organization processes There is a need for increased support for advocacy on the environment and chooses partners and and service delivery that sustains and protects human suppliers who treat human beings and the rights. Human rights violations disproportionately environment in a responsible way. RCF attempts affect ISPs and their ability to access HIV and other
ANNUAL REPORT ANNEX - RISKS AND RISK MITIGATION 65 health care services. Human rights advocacy is also Consortium model an area that is significantly underfunded in the HIV Lead organizations for consortia of networks face response. Therefore the RCF continues to prioritize the challenge of handling the communications, and fund human rights protections as a high priority. tracking, coordinating, reporting for a considerable size of partners or networks demanding time, energy, The challenging political and social conditions in the and focus independent of facilitating collaboration targeted countries increase the vulnerability of the for program and advocacy work. Under the 2015 RFP, ISP and grantees. The majority of partners have good network and consortium lead organizations had to mitigation strategies in place and have the expertise prove that they have the capacity to perform the defending the rights of ISPs. All grantees advocate tasks expected of a lead organization and applicants for equal rights (see chapter 3. of 2017 Annual Report could apply for a budget for consortia management. “Influencing Protection of ISP rights?”). The lead organizations of the current round of funding, have become more experienced in leading The RCF focuses on gender issues and the most a consortium. Following the success of the financial marginalized; girls and women are consistently management training organized by the Fund in 2017, prioritized as an inadequately served population RCF will explore further areas of capacity building and the Fund actively promotes the rights of women, to further strengthen the networks and consortia including transgender and gay women. All grantees in receipt of funds. strive for diversity and representation of ISPs in their
governing bodies. In 2017 RCF undertook an independent assessment of the consortia model and developed a number of Lastly, the governing bodies of the RCF consist of recommendations to inform and guide applicants in representatives of civil society and Inadequately the 2018 RFP (Lessons Learnt from Consortia Building Served Populations and reflect a gender and and Management, and Guidance on Consortium geographical balance. The RCF and Aidsfonds aim Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). at a diverse workforce with a balanced representation of men and women, ages, sexual orientation and IATI ethnic background. When recruiting new staff, RCF supports groups that are vulnerable and the Fund particularly encourages applications sometimes at-risk. This includes groups which are from qualified candidates who are living with HIV criminalized or face risks related to stigma and and/or from key affected communities. discrimination. Therefore RCF is committed to protecting the identity of our target groups and Challenges related to tracking and partners. At the same time, transparency is essential. measuring results RCF strives to find an appropriate balance. In 2017 The RCF finalized its Monitoring, Evaluation for RCF made the preparations to publish our portfolio Learning (MEL) system and tools in 2017. Previously in IATI. A new project management system is now disjointed MEL tools and frameworks have been in place. Four 2016 grantee portfolios are published streamlined into one cohesive framework, making it in IATI in 2017, in line with IATI requirements, with able to better understand and articulate RCF’s results the view to have half of the RCF portfolio and impact. In this process RCF extensively involved published in 2018. its grantees and donors, to ensure the MEL system is well understood and implemented. RCF revised the To protect vulnerable people, we follow guidelines MEL tools in collaboration with grantees to ensure that state when information should and should not they are fit for purpose and accurately track results. be published. Grantees are contractually obliged The grantees utilized these tools for the 2017 report- to comply with IATI reporting standards. ing process in Q1 2018. The MEL has proved to be an effective tool in capturing the added-value of the Procurement networks, the results of which are to be collectively Procurement of items or services is utilized analyzed during the Fund’s Collective Impact following our internal procedure in line with inter- Reflections Workshop in May 2018. national best practice and applicable regulations.
66 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 In 2017 RCF engaged a number consultancy services. Consultants were selected through a competitive bid process, consultants who performed to a high standards and met the requirements of the competi- tive bid process are added to a preferred supplier list. Grantees are encouraged to follow similar standards, procurement was a focus during the financial management training hosted by RCF in 2017.
OECD/DAC list of recipients Approximately 90% of RCF funding goes to ODA (Official Development Assistance) recipient countries. Twelve of the eighteen lead organizations are based in ODA-recipient countries and 29 consortium partners are based in ODA-recipient countries. Thirteen of the RCF grants are focused on ODA-recipient countries. As in line with contract stipulations funding from DFID and Norad funding is spent only on countries on the ODA list of recipient countries.
ANNUAL REPORT ANNEX - RISKS AND RISK MITIGATION 67 “… AIDS response can’t work unless civil society has the funds and the resources to move…” Robert Carr
For civil society networks
We thankfully receive support from:
The Norwegian Agency The Bill & Melinda Gates The U.S. President’s UK AID Ministry of Foreign for Development Foundation Emergency Plan for Affairs of the Cooperation (NORAD) AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Netherlands
Aids Fonds, Fund Management Keizersgracht 392 www.robertcarrfund.org Agent of the Robert Carr Fund 1016 GB Amsterdam [email protected] The Netherlands T +31 (0) 20 626 2669
68 ANNUAL REPORT 2017