Knowing our epidemic:

Strengthening community capacity for advocacy and leadership

ANNUAL REPORT 2008 INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF AIDS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Who we are............................................................................................................................................. A message from the Executive Director ...................................................................................... A global network of networks.......................................................................................................... A snapshot of ICASO's impact in 2008 ...................................................................................... Core approaches and impact.......................................................................................................... Leadership through experience ...................................................................................................... Africa: Meaningful participation of civil society .......................................................................... Asia and the Pacific: Helping build and strengthen advocacy capacity .......................... Europe: Breaking the cycle of stigma and discrimination ..................................................... A North American platform for action........................................................................................... Latin America and the Caribbean: A human rights framework........................................... Consulting, and sharing information and knowledge ............................................................. Financial report...................................................................................................................................... Statement of financial position ........................................................................................................ Statement of operations .................................................................................................................... ICASO's Board of Directors governing a network of networks ...................................... Making our work possible................................................................................................................. Regional Secretariats .......................................................................................................................... ICASO International Secretariat ......................................................................................................

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Founded in 1991, the mission of the International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO) is to mobilize and support diverse community organizations to build an effective global response to HIV and AIDS. The ICASO network of networks operates globally, regionally and locally, and reaches over 100 countries. ICASOs International Secretariat is in Toronto, Canada, with its Regional Secretariats based on five continents: the African Council of AIDS Service Organizations (AfriCASO) in Senegal; AIDS Action Europe in The Netherlands and Lithuania; the Asia Pacific Council of AIDS Service Organizations (APCASO) in Malaysia; the Latin American and the Caribbean Council of AIDS Service

Organizations (LACCASO) in Brazil; and the North American Council of AIDS Service Organizations (NACASO) in Canada. In addition, ICASO works with countrylevel staff attached to focal point organizations for specific project collaboration with country partner organizations. In reaching over 100 countries, we actively communicate with thousands of people, community organizations and networks across the world through our global network of civil society organizations.

Our vision is of a world where people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS can enjoy life free from stigma and discrimination, persecution, and have access to prevention, treatment and care.

International Council of AIDS Service Organizations

Now more than ever

One key factor that keeps coming up when I speak with communities most affected by the HIV epidemic, is that not knowing our epidemic remains one of the principal barriers to addressing HIV and AIDS globally. Too often AIDS responses miss those who are most in need. ICASOs work has enabled some of the most at risk and vulnerable to voice their continued exclusion from AIDS and broader health services, and the lack of protection of their human rights. In 2008, ICASO as a global network of networks focused its support on building local, regional and international capacity for community-led advocacy. As you will see from this report, a key aspect of our work is its multiplier effect providing information, guidance, resources and platforms for leaders and communities to directly affect change themselves. In particular, we have continued to ensure that communities get to the decision-making table, and when there, that they bring documented evidence and sound analysis on what is necessary to really make a difference in peoples lives. As the new Executive Director of ICASO, I am proud to be part of an organization that strives to build a sustainable and inclusive AIDS movement. My predecessor, Richard Burzynski, showed brilliant leadership for decades, taking community advocacy to a higher level, and building an organization that can effectively support that advocacy. Each year, ICASO seeks to learn lessons from successes and failures in global AIDS advocacy, and is finding new ways to support people in realizing their right to universal access to prevention, treatment care and support. While there are some who suggest that the battle against AIDS has been won and that the world can move on, sadly, despite real successes in prevention and treatment, more than ever we need to mobilise now. ICASO has in particular focused on mobilizing community advocacy to address the prevention gap we still see the number of new infections in the millions something that we believe stems from the limited ownership and investment in leadership from the communities most affected, at risk, and vulnerable to HIV. The work of ICASOs International and Regional Secretariats has been key to successfully empowering national community organizations especially people living with HIV and key populations to serve as a driving force in monitoring and calling for evidence-informed, scientifically proven country responses to AIDS. As a network of networks, ICASO, with its reach to thousands of people and community organizations around the world, has been able to ensure that local communities needs are successfully reflected in national, regional and international policy decision-making. After 18 years of ICASOs work on AIDS advocacy, we recognise now more than ever, the need for greater accountability in measuring our responses. Commitments to programmatic and financial targets amount to nothing if it does not come with action to achieve them. Despite operating in a globally depressed financial environment, ICASO will focus even more on bridging the gap that remains where governments are not investing sufficiently in the AIDS response and broader health systems, nor respecting human rights, in ways that genuinely meet the needs of the most vulnerable and at risk to HIV and AIDS. Investing in these communities can make a difference. My grateful thanks to everyone who makes this critical journey and work possible through their commitment, passion and care.

Kieran Daly Executive Director

Knowing our epidemic: Strengthening community capacity for advocacy and leadership

A global network of networks

As a network of networks, the International Secretariat of ICASO operates in partnership with its Regional Secretariats, mobilizing and supporting community sector organizations, to advocate on HIV and AIDS.

International Council of AIDS Service Organizations

A snapshot of ICASOs impact in 2008

We continue to see an increasing number of people living with HIV, particularly from key populations, including women (and girls), because of significant socio-cultural, economic and political barriers. Estimates put the figure of people living with HIV worldwide at 33 million today, with 95 percent concentrated in developing countries. With so much at stake, ICASO has been working for eighteen years, to scale up HIV prevention, treatment and care, and to improve the quality of life of people living with and affected by HIV. Working with AIDS and health advocates, our emphasis remains on key populations that include men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who use drugs, and women and girls. How do we this? By mobilizing NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs) working on HIV internationally, regionally and nationally, through local, regional and global networking, communications, and capacity and skills strengthening. Through national advocates and providing strategic information, we also advocate directly. In so doing, we support the community sector and leadership in informing just and effective policies, build the capacity of community advocates on AIDS, and support community sector advocates. As a result, communities are in a stronger position to hold their governments and other stakeholders accountable to their commitments and policies.

Advocacy is a process with many steps along the way. These steps or individual activities in our response to the AIDS pandemic all have a ripple or multiplier effect. Whether big or small, the effect always has an impact that is measurable qualitatively or quantifiably that ultimately should and can culminate in change of attitudes, actions, policies and laws.

Knowing our epidemic: Strengthening community capacity for advocacy and leadership

Core approaches and impact

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POLICY ANALYSIS AND STRATEGIC INFORMATION

Supporting community analysis and provision of strategic information in reviewing the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS Leadership in national advocacy for prevention and treatment (Prevention and Treatment Advocacy Project)

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NETWORK DEVELOPMENT
Mobilizing and strengthening community networking in international and regional AIDS conferences Capacity development and use of tools for community advocacy and accountability (NGO Code of Good Practice and prevention technologies)

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT TO ADVOCATE

Support for civil society capacity to engage in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria grants (Civil Society Action Team)

ADVOCACY FOR CHANGE

Advocate and support community sector advocacy to more effectively impact global policy agendas and decision-making (e.g. Global Fund, UNAIDS, UN General Assembly)

International Council of AIDS Service Organizations

Leadership through experience

ICASO, through its International and Regional secretariats, has built a unique knowledge base and expertise in AIDS policy over the last eighteen years, consistently and actively contributing as a global network of networks to major policy initiatives on AIDS. These include the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; the monitoring of implementation of the UN General Assemblys Declaration of Commitment and Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS; at the international and regional AIDS conferences; Universal Access, the UNAIDS Reference Groups on human rights; prevention, and monitoring and evaluation; and high-level meetings on HIV and AIDS. In 2008, ICASOs International Secretariat focused its work: on the ongoing advocacy support to the community sector through the mobilization and capacity building for the implementation of the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment; its five-year ten-country Prevention and Treatment Advocacy Project (PTAP); community advocacy for prevention technologies in the field of vaccines and microbicides; condom advocacy; and as the global host of the Civil Society Action Team all within the context of a human rights, and gender and sexuality framework. provided support and facilitated a process that identified civil society participants for active and meaningful participation in the 2008 High-level Meeting of the United Nations. ICASOs regional and global reports, which identified main gaps around human rights and key populations, continue to be used at country-level, to advocate for more community sector engagement in the reporting process and to highlight main gaps in the country progress reports.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ADVOCACY PROJECT (PTAP)

Our Community-based Advocacy and Networking to Scale-up Prevention alongside Expanded Treatment Access is a five-year, ten-country advocacy and networking initiative to support national community advocacy. The aim of the project is to build an enabling policy and programming environment in support of a comprehensive response to the AIDS epidemic, in which prevention is critical alongside treatment in reaching Universal Access targets. All the organizations and their partners implementing the project have recognized the value of the three main components of PTAT, namely, analysis, networking and advocacy in scaling up prevention alongside treatment. This recognition and the work that has already started on integrating this into their organizational strategic work plans, will ensure that what has been learned and achieved through PTAP, will not be lost once the project ends in 2009. A key outcome of the project has been the momentum it has created for increased advocacy for HIV prevention scaleup. For PTAP it has been vital that the focal point organizations have been able to mobilize and convene other community-based organizations in-country and even across borders to influence HIV policy and program development. Through its approach, to mobilize community leaders to influence AIDS policy and program development, the project had significant achievements in 2008 in the areas of voluntary counseling and testing; positive prevention and the greater involvement of people living with HIV; and HIV prevention for key populations.

ADVOCACY, MOBILIZATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING OF THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION OF COMMITMENT (DOC) ON HIV/AIDS AND 2006 POLITICAL DECLARATION ON HIV/AIDS
As a framework for scaling up HIV prevention, treatment and care at the country level, Universal Access is an extremely critical goal. 2008 saw ICASO reviewing and building national and community-level civil society capacity to use the 2008 review strategically, and to participate in the national reporting process. By ensuring national links to global and regional reporting and advocacy, ICASO exchanged information about different civil society-led monitoring initiatives, helping to strengthen relationships to improve communications among all stakeholders. ICASO also

International Council of AIDS Service Organizations

2008
Making a difference Examples of the impact of our work
ADVOCACY, MOBILIZATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING OF THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION OF COMMITMENT (DOC) AND 2006 POLITICAL DECLARATION ON HIV/AIDS
ICASO launched its global report A review on progress from the community sector [on the ] Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS during the High-level Meeting (HLM) in June. The report analyzed the main findings of the country and regional reports, and proposed recommendations to different stakeholders. Findings from this project were included in different documents prepared for the 2008 HLM by the Civil Society Task Force (CSTF) and the Civil Society Support Mechanism (CSSM). ICASO, as the co-chair of the 2008 CSTF, convened by the Office of the President of the General Assembly (OPGA), facilitated the process of the nomination of civil society speakers for the HLM. After the process of accreditation was over, certain organizations were denied accreditation. The Task Force and other partners advocated and strategized for the inclusion of these organizations that were denied accreditation. As a member of the HIV-related Travel Restrictions Task Team, the CSSM and the Task Force, ICASO coordinated the sign on of a letter addressed to the United Nations (UN) missions, seeking the lifting of travel restrictions for people living with HIV. This was highlighted by key speakers at the HLM, particularly the President of El Salvador and the United Nations Secretary General. Led by ICASO, the civil society support media team worked closely with civil society advocates and activists in making the links with the international media based at the United Nations.

ADVOCACY FOR THE GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA
ICASO has worked with the NGO representatives of the Global Fund Board to successfully advocate for: increasing demand for Global Fund resources in the form of quality proposals that include both government and non-government principal recipients; community systems strengthening to scale up civil societys role in Global Fund grant implementation decision-making; and the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized populations in the programs funded by the Global Fund and others.

THE CIVIL SOCIETY ACTION TEAM (CSAT)

In 2007, ICASO was selected as the global host of CSAT. Since then it has moved ahead to facilitate the establishment of the project around the world, and was officially launched in 2008. During the start-up phase, ICASO facilitated the selection of regional host organizations and oriented civil society partners and other stakeholders on CSAT and developed operational guidelines. The overarching goal of CSAT is to strengthen civil society organizations capacity to be involved more effectively in HIV and AIDS programs supported primarily by the Global Fund. 2008 saw ICASO facilitate civil society participation in Global Fund proposals in Round 8 in six countries. Proposals submitted by Indonesia, Ghana and Nicaragua were approved, with proposals from Rwanda, Namibia and Bolivia re-submitted in Round 9. Support at a national level by CSAT saw Country Coordinating Mechanisms in Indonesia, Malaysia, Bolivia and Nicaragua, include representatives of key populations. CSAT also facilitated support to civil society as grant Principal Recipients and Sub-Recipients (Namibia, Rwanda and Kenya). In addition, CSAT organized a regional workshop for 23 countries in West and Central Africa, during which civil society representatives assessed their needs for technical support, and developed action plans to strengthen implementation of Global Fund grants in their countries.

Knowing our epidemic: Strengthening community capacity for advocacy and leadership

2008
Making a difference Examples of the impact of our work
PROGRAMMATIC PARTICIPATION OF THE COMMUNITY SECTOR IN INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL HIV/AIDS CONFERENCES
ICASO has been involved with the International AIDS Conference (IAC) since its founding. The conference has provided an important platform to community organizations to raise particular issues and to highlight their work. As a member of the Conference Coordinating Committee (CCC), ICASO has contributed guidance on the conference program, ensuring that the voices of communities, and particularly those of sex workers, were included in the conference agenda for 2008. As a result, various sessions on key populations were included in the conference program, and for the first time in the history of the conference, a sex worker spoke at a plenary session. ICASO organized one session at the Global Village on Accountability and Representation Connecting Local to Global; a satellite session on Accountability of AIDS Governance Structures to Communities in partnership with the ICSS, World AIDS Campaign (WAC), and Health and Development Networks; and a skills-building session on The Challenges of Monitoring and Evaluating Community Sector Advocacy.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ADVOCACY PROJECT (PTAP) INVOLVEMENT OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV (PLHIV)
There continues to be a strong PLHIV component in all activities in all the countries where ICASO's Prevention and Treatment Advocacy Project is being implemented. In China, India, Nigeria and Kenya, the project focuses particularly on positive prevention, and in China alone, 45 trainers have been trained in this approach.

A GLOBAL PLANNING MEETING IN NAIROBI, KENYA

The meeting offered an opportunity for ICASO to develop a strategic plan for 2009 and beyond, linking up with the Civil Society Action Team (CSAT) representing six hubs across the world, PTAP personnel from ten countries, and four Regional Secretariats of ICASO. The meeting was hosted by the Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium and offered an opportunity to visit with local community organizations responding to HIV and AIDS.

COMMUNITY ADVOCACY FOR PREVENTION TECHNOLOGIES TO COUNTER HIV/AIDS

One of the fundamental aspects of ICASOs work in this area is to advocate and promote community involvement in the research and development of HIV vaccines and microbicides. Some of the results of this work include key resources to highlight and support involvement of civil society in this critical aspect of our work.

COMMUNITY SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN GLOBAL POLICY AGENDAS AND FORUMS

Our experience and access to global policy platforms and fora, allowed us to bring the voices of the most marginalized and vulnerable to the table in 2008. Focused advocacy, guidance and support mechanisms provided by ICASO, meant that representatives were better prepared to be able to effectively influence decisions, consult with their constituents, and communicate and better report on their activities and impact in a transparent way. A key focus of ICASOs work related to the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB), which involved advocacy and mentoring support to representatives and new community sector leaders in the arena of global policy fora to effectively influence agendas and decisions.
International Council of AIDS Service Organizations

2008
Making a difference Examples of the impact of our work
AIDS 2008: ICASO led (in partnership
with GNP+) the development of a comprehensive web-based Guide to increase community understanding of and participation in AIDS 2008 in Mexico City in August. (www.aids2008community.org) The International AIDS Conference evaluation indicated that 94 percent of those who used the on-line Guide found it useful, noting [] the vast majority of those who used it reported it was very useful or somewhat useful (56% and 38% respectively.) And, compared to public participants, delegates were more likely to have used it and to rate it as very useful, but it is encouraging to note that almost one third of public participants had used it, most of them giving a very good rating.

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS

The lack of access and availability of reproductive health services and supplies constitutes one of the basic barriers to preventing HIV transmission. In many countries institutional and structural constraints create an environment where there is a lack of equity, affordability and availability of supplies, particularly for the most marginalized and vulnerable groups. ICASOs advocacy focuses on challenging approaches and restrictions on the availability of comprehensive sexuality education and essential commodities, including condoms.

HUMAN RIGHTS
ICASO was selected as Chair of the Universal Access sub-committee of the UNAIDS Global Reference Group on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights. ICASO, as a member of the UNAIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group, is part of the Technical Working Group on M&E Prevention for MSM and transgender people, people who use drugs, and sex workers.

UNAIDS ADVOCACY: ICASOs support to sex workers to mobilize and participate in the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB), resulted directly in a decision from the PCB for UNAIDS to further consult with the relevant groups to redevelop the UNAIDS Guidance on Sex Work and HIV. ICASO also helped advocate for and supported the NGO delegation to successfully have the Board commit UNAIDS to supporting and funding a Communication and Consultation Facility. This was the result of many years of advocacy. CONDOM ADVOCACY: ICASO was invited to co-chair the UNFPA-led
Civil Society Advocacy Working Group of the Inter-Agency Task Team on Comprehensive Condom Programming, based on ICASOs Advocacy Briefing, Barriers to Condom Access: setting an advocacy agenda.

HIV TESTING
ICASO believes that scaling up access to HIV testing is an important strategy in the response to HIV and AIDS and supports the right of each person to know his or her HIV status, when and if they choose to be tested. In particular, ICASO affirms that HIV testing must remain voluntary, and include proper pre- and post-test counselling, informed consent, with confidentiality protections.

HIV-RELATED TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

As a member of the International Task Team on HIV-related travel restrictions, ICASO led the process for a civil society sign-on letter submitted to UN member states signed by over 400 organizations, calling for the removal of restrictions and for no further AIDS meetings to be held in countries that have such restrictions. The immediate effect was felt at the United Nations High-level Meeting, where the president of El Salvador made a public appeal for the removal of the restrictions in countries such as the United States and China.

GENDER AND SEXUALITY: ICASOs resource on gender (Gender, Sexuality, Rights and HIV), continues to be posted on a number of websites (including that of the Open Society Institute, Institute of Development Studies and the United Nations Development Fund for Women-UNIFEM) and is being used as a tool for building community understanding on the links between gender and vulnerability to HIV.

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Knowing our epidemic: Strengthening community capacity for advocacy and leadership

Africa
MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY
In Africa, ICASOs Regional Secretariat, the African Council of AIDS Service Organizations (AfriCASO), is the focal point for two of ICASOs projects: Communitybased Advocacy and Networking to Scale-up HIV Prevention in an Era of Expanded Treatment (PTAP) and the Civil Society Action Team (CSAT). PTAP, which is ICASOs five-year initiative to contribute to policy and programming shift in ten countries across the globe, is spearheaded by AfriCASO through its country partners in Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Botswana. In Nigeria, the project has taken on a life of its own, with the advocacy work gaining much visibility and recognition, with full representation on the National HIV Prevention Technical Working Group, alongside the Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPHWAN). Involvement of other key populations: In Rwanda, PTAP has advocated for the need to address the links between HIV and vulnerabilities of marginalized communities, an issue that had been overlooked by the National AIDS Control Commission. The Commission has since agreed to conduct a study on AIDS-related stigma and discrimination at the national level, with a focus on men who have sex with men, and people who use drugs. This initiative will also provide primary data to support future community advocacy efforts in support of men who have sex with men, and people who use drugs.

We cannot control the HIV epidemic without getting community organizations involved not a tokenistic involvement, but through meaningful participation in designing the implementation and the monitoring of national responses to AIDS. Thats the sense of our continued capacity building, communication and advocacy work in Africa.
Dr. Cheick Tidiane Tall, AfriCASO Executive Director In Kenya, the project spearheaded the development of the greater involvement of people living with HIV and AIDS (GIPA) guidelines, and ensured that an essential role for people living with HIV is included in the Kenya National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan, as well as in the mainstreaming of GIPA at all levels of the response. In Botswana, working with tribal leaders to address socio-cultural and economic barriers inhibiting HIV prevention, has led to them pledging their commitment to work with PTAP to advocate for the scaleup of prevention activities alongside treatment in their respective communities. AfriCASO also plays a pivotal role in increasing and improving the engagement of civil society organizations in Global Fund opportunities. The number of civil society organizations involved in implementing programs funded through Global Fund grants has grown, because of the significant increases in funding over the past few years. However, some of these organizations may lack the necessary understanding to implement Global Fund projects effectively, experiencing both programmatic and organizational capacity gaps. In Africa, AfriCASO serves as the regional hub for the

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Knowing our epidemic: Strengthening community capacity for advocacy and leadership

Civil Society Action Team (CSAT). The impact of CSATs work, linking communities with the Global Fund, so far (through workshops in Mali and Senegal) includes an increased awareness by civil society organizations of the new opportunities available through the Global Fund, such as dual track financing, community systems strengthening and broader involvement of key affected populations. ICASO was also represented by AfriCASO during the 15th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) in 2008, contributing significantly to the design and the implementation of the program with the theme: Africas response: Face the Facts. The community program led by AfriCASO, dealt amongst others with human rights, involvement of youth in the response to HIV, disability and HIV, and financing the response to HIV. There was general agreement that although enormous efforts have been made in response to the epidemic, much more needed to be done to achieve Universal Access. Key to this is the need for improved civil society involvement in the response to HIV, to reinforce the organizations capacities in designing, implementing, and monitoring and evaluating HIV programs. However, it is recognized that stigma and discrimination continues to undermine many of the efforts in responding to HIV, with a real need to protect and promote the rights of key populations, such as people living with HIV, men who have sex with men, and sex workers. Fighting growing homophobia: the case of MSM in Senegal: In 2008, the Senegalese High Court sentenced nine men for having committed unnatural acts. A committee bringing together several civil society organizations, which included AfriCASO, combined their efforts to secure the release of the men. Nevertheless, the committee called upon the government and the public to pay greater attention to issues related to men having sex with men, in order to preserve this countrys impressive achievements in the fight against AIDS, and that homophobia and criminalization based on sexual orientation could seriously compromise the enormous efforts to maintain general HIV prevalence in Senegal below one percent.

Promoting and applying the NGO Code of Practice in community organizations programs: ICASO supported AfriCASO, as the first regional hub on the Code, in collaboration with the code project, to conduct an action research project to evaluate how the Code can support NGOs in improving their accountability to their constituents and the quality of their programming and services. The project took place in three countries: Kenya, where the lead partner was KANCO, in Nigeria, through the Civil Society for HIV and AIDS in Nigeria, and in Senegal through des organisations de lutte contre le sida au Sngal.

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Asia and the Pacific

HELPING BUILD AND STRENGTHEN ADVOCACY CAPACITY
Globally, the response to HIV and AIDS increasingly demands a greater and more central role of communities in national agenda-setting, coordination, and decision-making. It also requires that civil society actively hold governments to account for their commitment at the national and international levels. In the Asia Pacific region, this was central to the work of the Asia Pacific Council of AIDS Service Organizations (APCASO), which in 2008, focused on building the advocacy capacity of communities in India, China, Thailand and Indonesia through several projects: the Prevention and Treatment Advocacy Project (PTAP), the AusAID HIV/AIDS Partnership Initiative (AHAPI) and the Community Advocacy Initiative. At an international level, APCASO also facilitated civil society In Tamil Nadu, India, PTAP was instrumental in the inclusion of positive prevention into the National AIDS Control Plan III (NACP III), which has informed the development of State Implementation Plans (SIP) on AIDS. A focus of the community-led advocacy within the project has seen the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TNSACS) increase the number of drop-in centers for prevention and treatment services for PLHIV, ensuring coverage of 30 districts in the state. In Yunnan Province, China, following a PTAP-led pilot project in the Guan Du Detoxification Center, full voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services were available at the facility in October 2008. It was expanded to the Kunming Detoxification Center, which has agreed to have the services available in 2009.

The effectiveness of HIV/AIDS responses lies with civil society, especially the most vulnerable marginalised community groups. APCASO works with CBOs and NGOs to advocate, network and build capacity so that their needs and concerns can be heard and accounted for.
Moi Lee Liow, APCASO Executive Director

participation in the national UNGASS review, and the High-level Meeting on AIDS review in June 2008. Implemented in India and China, the Prevention and Treatment Advocacy Project, has been building and strengthening the capacity of communities to participate in policy dialogue and decision-making, and to advocate for issues related to HIV and AIDS since 2005. Stigma and discrimination however, remains one of the biggest obstacles to prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS.

In 2007, ICASO began work on its Civil Society Action Team (CSAT) project, which was a continuation of earlier work related to advocacy around the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. With the aim to strengthen civil society organizations capacity to be involved more effectively in HIV and AIDS programs supported primarily by the Global Fund, ICASO as the global host for CSAT, works closely with its regional hub in the Asia Pacific Region, the Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS/7 Sisters, which is based in Thailand. 2008 saw two key

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Knowing our epidemic: Strengthening community capacity for advocacy and leadership

achievements for the region: facilitating civil society participation in the successful Global Fund proposals for Round 8 in Indonesia, and ensuring that the Country Coordinating Mechanisms for both Indonesia and Malaysia included representatives of key populations. The Community Advocacy Initiative, a three-year project that started in 2008, will continue the work of started by the AusAID HIV/AIDS Partnership Initiative (AHAPI) in Indonesia, with a planned expansion to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. AHAPI, aimed at building community and counterpart participation, capacity and knowledge in priority countries within the Asia Pacific region, ended in 2008.

pressing issues and priorities of communities. As the Asia Pacific host for the Civil Society Support Mechanism, APCASO mobilized civil society participation in their national reporting. By the end of March 2008, 25 countries had submitted their AIDS progress reports, which included four countries reporting for the first time: South Korea, Singapore, Marshall Islands and Tuvalu. ICASO supported APCASO in conducting a regional capacity building workshop to introduce and promote the use of the NGO Code of Practice to organizations working on HIV in the region and to encourage the integration of human rights principles into the work of these organizations through the NGO Code-inspired

Other advocacy initiatives of APCASO included participating in the Asia Pacific Civil Society Preparatory Forum for UNGASS Review that resulted in sub-regional roadmaps for the 2010 HIV Review and Civil Society statement reflecting the

continuous improvements model. Twenty-seven participants from six countries in the region and five states in Malaysia participated in the workshop.

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Europe
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION
Since 2000, the rate of newly reported cases of HIV has almost doubled in Europe. The continents HIV-epidemic affects most of all vulnerable groups like people who use drugs, men who have sex with men, sex workers, migrants and prisoners. Stigma and discrimination continue to affect not only quality of life of PLHIV but also access to prevention, treatment and care. AIDS Action Europe has committed itself to fighting for universal access, especially for key populations. There is quite some knowledge about what works or doesnt work. But we need to make better use of this information, and develop a common vision on how to translate these experiences in concrete policies and programmes. This is what we aim for in our advocacy work, through our co-chairing of the EU HIV/AIDS Civil Society Forum and other channels, reports Martine de Schutter. in strengthening the capacity of civil society, in particular in Eastern Europe, though amongst other projects, the Prevention and Treatment Advocacy Project (PTAP). HIV epidemics continue to grow in newly affected regions (Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Republics), with documented evidence from ICASOs work showing that key populations lack access to services due to fear of discrimination and denial of access, with a consequent need for effective community leadership to push for change. In Ukraine, it is widely recognized that former prisoners constitute a vulnerable population in need of tailored services and support. Advocacy efforts throughout 2008, have led to the inclusion of ex-prisoners on the list of recognized key populations that

We bring together NGOs and PLHIV, but also academic and public and international institutions to look at good practice examples that really work. Our advocacy work aims to strengthen the human rights of PLHIV and most affected groups. If we dont break the circle around stigma and discrimination, we cant progress, we cant get people to test and get early treatment.
Martine de Schutter, Executive Coordinator AIDS Action Europe Universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for all by 2010 as committed to by the United Nations in the Political Declaration (DoC) on HIV/AIDS of 2006 still remains a challenge in Europe. ICASO has since 2003, successfully supported the involvement of community sector organizations in the review and reporting on progress in implementing the DoC targets. This has involved building and strengthening the community sector capacity to undertake critical analysis, monitoring and evaluation. In this respect, AIDS Action Europe has been a key partner have been included in the Bill of National Program on HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support of PLHIV 2009-2013. In addition, the Ministry of Social Issues and Labour, together with the Coalition, the PTAP in-country partner, developed a community-based rehabilitation strategy for formerly incarcerated persons, which include referral services to clinical facilities that provide tuberculosis, HIV and sexually transmitted infections prevention, treatment, care, and support services.

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Knowing our epidemic: Strengthening community capacity for advocacy and leadership

In Eastern Europe (and Central Asia) ICASOs Civil Society Action Team (CSAT) is led by the Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN) in Lithuania. In 2008, EHRN conducted a survey among some 100 civil society organizations in the region, gathering information on their involvement in Global Fund (to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria) programs, and their needs for technical support. EHRN also organized a satellite session on CSAT and technical support issues at the Regional AIDS Conference in Moscow, and assisted civil society organizations in Belarus and Uzbekistan in arranging consultations with support from the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), to strengthen their involvement in Global Fund processes. Overall, the work has led to a better understanding of civil society organizations needs for technical support, stronger networks at country level, and a stronger partnership with UNAIDS at regional and country level to facilitate support to civil society organizations. As in previous years, AIDS Action Europe also worked on its advocacy strategy predominantly through its active contribution as co-chair to the European HIV/AIDS Civil Society Forum (CSF) and member of the European HIV/AIDS Think Tank. With the NGO members of the CSF, AIDS Action Europe looked into the strengths and weaknesses of the current European HIV/AIDS Communication 2006-2009 (policy plan.) Upon request by the European Commission, AIDS Action Europe prepared a list of priorities, highlighting human rights of key populations and universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support, for the new communication policy plan 2010-2014 that will be developed in 2009, together with the United Kingdoms National AIDS Trust and the European AIDS Treatment Group. AIDS Action Europe lobbied for the protection against discrimination for all people living with HIV to be included in the new European legislation Equality Directive. The amendment, was approved by the European Parliament, and was pending approval by the Council of Ministers of the European Union at the time of writing this report.

Linking and learning among NGOs: As part of the project European Partners in Action on AIDS, AIDS Action Europe together with other member organisations, organised three European good practice seminars on voluntary counselling and testing (held in Romania); resource mobilization (in The Netherlands); and public policy dialogue (in The Netherlands.) The AIDS Action Europe Clearinghouse www.hivaidsclearinghouse.eu has improved its position as the central database for the exchange of good practices in the field of HIV and AIDS in Europe, with 490 users by the end of 2008. In total, 554 examples and reports of good practices had been uploaded, which had been downloaded over 27,000 times.

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A North American platform for action

The North American Council of AIDS Service Organizations (NACASO) recently launched a North American Platform for Action, and is expanding its membership to include regional and local groups and those working at the national level in Canada and the United States of America (US). The work of NACASO includes: working with partners in Canada and the US on issues such as community preparedness for microbicides; community involvement in research on vaccines; identifying and collaborating on awareness and prevention activities; and participation in North American Conferences such as the North American Treatment Action Forum and the Canadian HIV/AIDS Skills Building Symposium. The Canadian AIDS Society (CAS) currently hosts the secretariat for the North American Council of AIDS Service Organizations (NACASO). Registered as a charity since 1988, CAS is a national 2008 saw NACASO focus on two priority areas: the United States [of America] (US) Immigration Policy and Universal Access in the US and in Canada. Currently, PLHIV are only permitted to enter the US as visitors under special permission visas. NACASO continues to share information with its member groups, encouraging them to sign-on or participate in efforts to effect change. Following the recent consultations initiated by the US government, NACASO members signed a letter of comment, which was submitted to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta on July 31, 2009. In addition, CAS shared an advocacy update with its members regarding the online petition. Rallies were organized by members and affiliates in Surrey, BC, Toronto and Niagara. Recent information suggests that the rule may be lifted soon.

NACASO continues its work with the Global Network of People Living with HIV in North America (GNP+ NA) on the topic of access to care, treatment and support in the run-up to 2010 the target date set for achieving Universal Access. In addition to this, NACASO is monitoring the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS.

coalition of over 125 community-based AIDS organizations across Canada, dedicated to strengthening the response to HIV and AIDS across all sectors of society, and to enriching the lives of people and communities living with HIV/AIDS.

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Knowing our epidemic: Strengthening community capacity for advocacy and leadership

Latin America and the Caribbean

A HUMAN RIGHTS FRAMEWORK
It is widely recognized that HIV has an impact on and is dependent on the capacity of countries to address broader development challenges. Consequently, continued community leadership is needed to push for effective action against HIV across the broader health system. In 2008, ICASOs Prevention and Treatment Advocacy Project (PTAP), was led by the Latin American Council of AIDS Service Organizations (LACCASO) through the Venezuelan organization, Accin Ciudadana Contra el SIDA (ACCSI), in Jamaica and Belize. a critical approach in Belize, where work to mobilize people living with HIV in a national movement across the country continues. The movement, Positive Lives, is now openly recognized, and its membership continues to grow. The first national meeting of people living with HIV was held in 2008, with 25 people living with HIV attending a very promising development, considering that there were no established communities of PLHIV in the country when the project started, and with most people unwilling to publicly disclose their HIV status for fear of being subjected to stigma and discrimination.

To confront the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting and defending human rights, through coordination, integration and capacity building of civil society organizations, with the purpose to achieve an articulated and effective community and multi-sectorial response to the epidemic.
Mission statement of the Latin American and the Caribbean Council of AIDS Service Organizations

To build a policy environment conducive to effective and comprehensive AIDS programs that include evidence-based HIV prevention alongside treatment, the project identified three key objectives aimed at harnessing the skills and knowledge of community-based organizations and key populations to advocate for evidencebased responses. One objective of the project was to raise awareness and increase understanding among decision-makers and other stakeholders of the need to align and expand prevention and treatment through planned advocacy action. This was

Aid for AIDS in Peru leads the Civil Society Action Team (CSAT) work in Latin America and the Caribbean. 2008 saw the regional hub in the region effectively respond to requests for support by Colectivo GLBT, which focuses on the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in Bolivia, and the Transgender Network in Nicaragua and NGOs network in Paraguay. Aid for AIDS successfully brokered technical support to ensure that work related to sexual minorities was included in country proposals.

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Knowing our epidemic: Strengthening community capacity for advocacy and leadership

2008 also marked a transition for LACCASO. After eight years under the leadership and stewardship of Edgar Carrasco and Renate Koch of ACCSI in Venezuela, Seropositividade, Comunicao & Genero (GESTOS) from Recife/Brazil, became ICASOs new Regional Secretariat for the region. GESTOS has been an active participant in LACCASO for the past 13 years, contributing to its work on defending

the human rights of key populations, as well as the geographic expansion of the network. GESTOS approach to the ongoing work of ICASO through a human rights framework, with a special focus on sexual and reproductive rights for women and men, specifically those living with HIV and AIDS, health and education, and overcoming gender inequities in the region.

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Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS: A review on progress from the community sector ENGLISH/SPANISH

Civil Society Action Team Advocacy Alerts ENGLISH/FRENCH/ RUSSIAN/SPANISH

ICASOs 10-country Prevention and Treatment Advocacy Project: Impact Report ENGLISH

Web-based community guide to participation in AIDS 2008 www.aids2008community.org BAHASA/CHINESE/ENGLISH/ SPANISH/THAI/VIETNAMESE

AIDS Advocacy Alert: High-level meeting on AIDS: HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN AND INFLUENCE THE HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON AIDS ENGLISH/FRENCH/RUSSIAN/SPANISH

Advocacy Alerts AIDS Advocacy Alert: High-level Meeting on AIDS HOW TO GET INVOLVED ENGLISH/FRENCH/RUSSIAN/SPANISH/THAI

News and press releases

Consulting, and sharing information and knowledge

ICASO continues to support communities by publishing reports in multiple languages to support and drive advocacy by the community sector. Our web site at www.icaso.org is an important tool in communicating our work, and linking with our partners in the response to HIV and AIDS.

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EXPENDITURE IN 2008

GRANTS AND OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS IN 2008 BY DONOR (CANADIAN DOLLARS)

Financial report
In 2008, ICASO continued to support national, regional and global projects with over $3.8 million (CAD) in grants and other contributions. The support included funding the work of its Regional Secretariats at a regional and national level. Our largest source of funding continues to be the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, at close to 40 percent, while also receiving funding from other donors that represent diverse sectors, such as governments, the United Nations and the private sector.

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Statement of financial position

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008, WITH COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR 2007

Statement of operations
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008, WITH COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR 2007

ASSETS
Current Assets Cash Short-term investments Accounts receivable Prepaid expenses

2008

2007

REVENUE
Grants and contributions Interest Other

2008
$ 3,779,287 41,841 99,471 3,920,599

2007
$ 3,838,877 101,024 85,561 4,025,462

$ 191,694 1,665,592 348,885 11,768 2,217,939 38,108 $ 2,256,047

$ 153,648 2,038,182 109,817 22,776 2,324,423 56,869 $ 2,381,292

EXPENSES
Support for regional secretariats Salaries and benefits Other support for regional activities Professional fees Travel Office and general Occupancy Amortization of capital assets Foreign exchange (gain) loss 1,591,066 1,230,454 592,519 348,468 252,560 126,706 85,653 22,776 (594,973) 3,655,229 $ 265,370 $ 1,788,754 1,002,992 84,298 288,073 175,432 177,876 73,916 35,861 336,236 3,963,438 62,024

Capital assets TOTAL ASSETS

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

Current Liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities Deferred contributions Net Assets Invested in capital assets Internally restricted - operating Internally restricted - contingencies Unrestricted

627,372 621,019 1,248,391 38,108 310,417 375,000 284,131 1,007,656 $ 2,256,047

409,898 1,229,108 1,639,006 56,869 310,417 375,000 --742,286 $ 2,381,292

Excess of revenue over expenses All figures in Canadian Dollars

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

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ICASOs Board of Directors governing a network of networks

ICASO is governed by a board of thirteen people. To support global accountability and ensure community leadership of the network of networks, five places on the Board are held by a person nominated by each of the five Regional Secretariats of ICASO: the African Council of AIDS Service Organizations (AfriCASO), the Asia Pacific Council of AIDS Service Organizations (APCASO) AIDS Action Europe (AAE), Latin American and the Caribbean Council of AIDS Service Organizations (LACCASO) and the North American Council of AIDS Service Organizations (NACASO). To ensure that ICASO's work responds to the needs of the community sector within an evolving global AIDS response, five places are held by "at-large" members, recruited through a public call for nominations, who bring critical expertise, experience, and leadership to the position. In addition, the Board has been strengthened with two positions that are dedicated to people living with HIV, as a way to guarantee that the perspectives and voices of people affected by HIV, is integral to all the work we engage in. The Executive Director is an ex-officio member of the Board.

Making our work possible

In 2008, ICASOs support to community sector organizations and AIDS service organizations responding to HIV and AIDS was made possible through the generous support of our donors and partner organizations. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) of the Government of Canada Ford Foundation International AIDS Society International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) Merck & Co. Inc GlaxoSmithKlines Positive Action Programme

BOARD MEMBERS (as of July 2009)*

Olayide Akanni (at large) Don Baxter (APCASO and Vice-chair) Ton Coenen (AIDS Action Europe) Jacqueline Coleman (NACASO and Chair) Kieran Daly (ex-officio) Tony Di Pede (at large and Treasurer) Carlos Garcia de Leon (PLHIV representative) Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch (at large) Merle Mendonca (LACCASO) Laurien Nyabienda (AfriCASO) Richard Parker (at large) Anandi Yuvraj (PLHIV representative) One position vacant.

Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

*NOTE: Changes to the Board of Directors Left in 2008: Anand Grover and Paul Lapierre (treasurer) Joined in 2008: Olayide Akanni, Laurien Nyabienda, Anandi Yuvraj and Tony Di Pede (treasurer). Joined in 2009: Merle Mendonca

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Regional Secretariats
AFRICAN COUNCIL OF AIDS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS (AFRICASO)
Established in 1991, AfriCASO is a network of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations, groups of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) and other African HIV/AIDS community groups. Based in Senegal, its mission is to promote and facilitate the development of the community response to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa and the development of sustainable organizational structures for NGOs, CBOs and Groups of PLHIV. Dr. Cheick Tidiane Tall, Executive Director Phone: +221 33 8593939 cttall@africaso.net www.africaso.net

ASIA PACIFIC COUNCIL OF AIDS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS (APCASO)

APCASO, based in Malaysia, is a network of non-government and community-based organizations (NGOs and CBOs) that provide HIV/AIDS services within the Asia and the Pacific region. The mission of APCASO is to provide and strengthen the community-based response to HIV/AIDS in the Asia-Pacific regions. Moi Lee Liow, Executive Director Phone: +603 40449666 moileel@apcaso.org www.apcaso.org

LATIN AMERICAN AND THE CARIBBEAN COUNCIL OF AIDS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS (LACCASO)
Now based in Brazil, LACCASOs central mission is to confront the AIDS epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting and defending human rights, through coordination, integration and capacity building of civil society organizations, with the purpose to achieve an articulated and effective community and multi-sectoral response to the epidemic. Alessandra Nilo, Executive Director Phone: + 55 81 34217670 alessandra.nilo@gestospe.org.br www.laccaso.org

AIDS ACTION EUROPE

AIDS Action Europe is a pan-European partnership of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). AIDS Action Europe aims to create a more effective response to the HIV and AIDS epidemics in Europe and its neighbours. Martine de Schutter, Executive Coordinator Amsterdam Office Phone: +31 (0) 20 6262 669 mdeschutter@aidsactioneurope.org Marija Subataite, Program Coordinator Vilnius Office Phone: +370 5 2609007/2691600 marija@harm-reduction.org www.aidsactioneurope.org www.hivaidsclearinghouse.eu

NORTH AMERICAN COUNCIL OF AIDS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS (NACASO)

The Canadian AIDS Society (CAS), based in Canada, currently hosts the secretariat for the North American Coalition of AIDS Service Organizations (NACASO). Dr. Bachir Sarr, Coordinator Phone: (613) 230-3580 ext. 136 BachirS@cdnaids.ca www.cdnaids.ca

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ICASO International Secretariat* (as of July 2009)

EXECUTIVE OFFICE
Kieran Daly, Executive Director Callie Long, Senior Communications Manager Pauline Gregory, Administrative Assistant

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

Robert Carr, Associate Director of Policy and Advocacy Mary Ann Torres, Senior Policy Advisor Sumita Banerjee, Senior Program Manager Natalia Ciausova, International Coordinator, CSAT Valrie Pierre-Pierre, Program Manager Monitoring & Evaluation

FINANCE AND OPERATIONS

Lana Wright, Director of Finance & Operations Gala Vrabiye, Administrative Coordinator Finance Officer (Recruitment in process. Currently filled by temporary staff person)
* Left in 2008: Richard Burzynski & Amber Phalen. Left in 2009: Joe Mahase & Myriam Motta. Joined in 2008: Callie Long and Pauline Gregory. Joined in 2009: Robert Carr. Cover: Stock photo from iStockphoto LP Page 6: ICASO Page 8: Richard Lord Page 13: Richard Lord Page 15: ICASO and PTAP-China Page 17: AIDS Action Europe Page 19: Paul Jeffrey Page 21: ICASO and Richard Lord (3rd photo) Page 22: INP+ (India) Inside Back Cover: Stock photo from iStockphoto LP

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International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)

International Secretariat 65 Wellesley Street E., Suite 403 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4Y 1G7 t: +1 416 921 0018 f: +1 416 921 9979 icaso@icaso.org www.icaso.org Mobilizing and supporting diverse community organizations
2009 International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)