Stop TB Partnership

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Our Structure

The Stop TB Partnership comprises the following four components:

Partners' Forum

The Partners' Forum is the assembly of the Stop TB Partnership and consists of an inclusive, consultative meeting of representatives of all the Partners. In addition, all who have an interest in helping to achieve the objectives of the Partnership are welcome to participate upon invitation of the Executive Secretary.

The Role and Mission of the Forum are:
  • to consolidate and increase support for and commitment to the work of the Partnership;
  • to review and comment on the overall progress of the Partnership; and
  • to serve as a forum of information exchange on progress, problems and challenges in relation to the work of the Partnership.
The Functions of the Forum are:
  • to identify problems and new challenges and to exchange information thereon;
  • to consolidate and reinforce partners' commitment, particularly high-level political commitment, to the objectives of the Partnership;
  • to create and exploit opportunities for advocacy, information exchange, communications and awareness activities in promotion of the Partnership aims;
  • to review overall progress towards implementation of the Stop TB Partnership, review reports presented by the Board and to make recommendations to the Board; and
  • to formalize commitments to partnership targets and associated strategic plans.
Reports:

Coordinating Board

  • The role/functions/responsibilities of the Board
  • Composition of the Board
  • Members of the Board
  • Selection of Board members
  • Chair of the Board
  • Secretariat of the Board
  • Accountability/Inter-relationships
  • Transparency
  • Frequency of meetings

The Stop TB Partnership Coordinating Board provides leadership and direction, monitors the implementation of agreed policies, plans and activities of the Partnership, and ensures coordination among Stop TB Partnership components.

The functions of the Board are:
  • Formulate priorities for action by the partnership in line with health policy and technical advice from WHO and in the light of the recommendations of the Partners Forum;
  • Support the Partners according to agreed strategy;
  • Approve the work plan and budget of the Secretariat, provide leadership and direction and monitor its implementation;
  • Mobilize adequate resources for the various activities of the Stop TB Partnership after identifying funding gaps with respect to approved work plans and assigning priorities to different elements of the work plans;
  • Coordinate and promote advocacy and social mobilization in support of the Stop TB Partnership in appropriate fora;
  • Review the progress of the implementation of the Stop TB Partnership and maintain a program of frequent, high-quality information exchange, including reports of its meetings, with all Partners and the public at large;
  • To provide oversight and review of the use of the Stop TB Partnership Trust Fund;
  • Review the annual financial statement and progress report prepared by the Executive Secretary;
  • Adopt an appropriate financial policy to underpin financial decisions and accounting for resources entrusted to the Stop TB Secretariat;
  • Coordinate input to Partnership processes and initiatives from the constituencies represented on the Board;
  • Represent the Stop TB Partnership in external fora and events;
  • Adopt appropriate rules or guidelines to ensure the proper running of the Stop TB Partnership;
  • Establish such committees, working groups and task forces as it may deem necessary;
  • Consider and approve any amendment to the Basic Framework; and
  • Consider any other matter related to the Stop TB Partnership as may be referred to it by any of its members, by the Chair of the Board, by the Executive Committee (ExCom), or by the Executive Secretary.

The composition of the Board shall represent the component constituencies of the Partnership. The Board shall be composed of 34 members in the following manner and shall be reviewed by the Board in the light of any evaluation of the Partnership:

  • 4 representatives from high burden countries,
  • 3 representatives, one from each of WHO, the World Bank and the GFATM ,
  • 1 representative of another international organization,
  • 6 regional representatives, assuring the inclusion of representatives from non-high burden countries,
  • 7 Working Group Chairpersons representing DOTS Expansion, MDR-TB, TB-HIV, Diagnostics, TB Drug Development, New Vaccines and Advocacy and Communications,
  • 5 representatives of financial donors,
  • 1 representative of Foundations,
  • 3 representatives of NGOs and technical agencies, including The Union and CDC as permanent members,
  • 2 representatives of communities affected by TB,
  • The Chair of the WHO STAG, and
  • 1 representative of the corporate business sector

Selection of Board members: In order to represent effectively the interests of the Partnership, the Board must reflect the various constituencies which make up the Partnership. The criteria for Board members should be commitment to Stop TB, potential to contribute to the success of the Partnership program and relevant skills, experience or access to resources. The process of selection should be open and accountable. In that perspective, the election, selection or nomination of members of the Board will be as follows:

  • The constituencies of financial donors, foundations, NGOs / technical agencies and the corporate sector will organize and carry out, if necessary with the assistance of the Secretariat, an appropriate process of selection and will inform the Board of the process and criteria used.
  • In order to promote transparency, the Partnership Secretariat will publish on the Partnership website details of forthcoming vacancies, core responsibilities of Board members, criteria for selection and a profile of currently desired skills and experience. The Secretariat will invite members of the constituency concerned to make nominations to the constituency leadership.
  • Representatives of high-burden countries, of communities affected by TB and regional representatives will be selected by a consultative process managed by the Board.
  • Any organization represented on the Board will nominate their individual representative and inform the Board.
  • The chairpersons of the Working Groups and of the WHO STAG cited in para 10 of these procedures will serve ex officio as Board members.
  • Board members shall serve for a term of three years and may be re-appointed to a further term.
  • At a moment of renewal of the Board, the Chair and the Executive Secretary shall ensure that the Board undertakes a review of the diversity of skill available on the Board and the expertise which will be needed in the proximate future. In this task, the Board may be helped by a consultation (organized by the Secretariat via the website) among the partners at large to request suggestions on the profile and skills required for future Board members.
  • The Board shall so arrange rotation of membership that no more than one third of the total members of the Board are replaced at any one moment of rotation. At least five Board members should rotate per year.
  • The Board may co-opt other persons or invite other persons to attend Board meetings for specific, temporary purposes as and when the Board judges it necessary.
  • The Executive Secretary will be responsible to the Board for the effective and timely fulfillment of the above procedures.

Chair of the Board: The Board shall elect from among its members a Chairman who shall serve for a term of two years. The Chairman shall be eligible for re-election, but shall not serve more than two consecutive terms. The Chairman shall preside over the Board sessions. The Board elects from among its members a Vice-Chair, following the same procedures.

Secretariat of the Board: The Executive Secretary of Stop TB Partnership Secretariat will act as the Secretary of the Board. The Stop TB Partnership Secretariat shall prepare the agenda for each session of the Stop TB Coordinating Board, in collaboration with the Chairman and the board members. A report, prepared by the Executive Secretary, with the assistance of appointed rapporteurs, shall be circulated as soon as possible after the conclusion of the session for the approval of the members

Accountability/Inter-relationships: The Board responds to the partnership through reporting comprehensively to each meeting of the Forum. In between such meetings, the Board, through the Secretariat, will maintain a programme of frequent, high-quality information exchange, including reports on Board meetings, with all partners and the public at large. Decisions of the Board should, to the maximum extent possible, be based on consensus.

Transparency: The Board has a primary responsibility to display the maximum of transparency through regular, clear reporting on its work both within and outside the Global Partnership. The balanced composition of the Board will tend to foster such transparency.

Frequency of meetings: the Board should meet physically at least two times per year. The Coordinating Board appoints seven of its members, and the Director of the WHO TB Department, to constitute an Executive Committee (ExCom) which is broadly representative of the constituencies on the Board and shall act on behalf of the Board in between formal sessions of the Board. When rapid decisions are needed, electronic conferencing can be used.

Working Groups

Working groups are essential components of the partnership that contribute significantly to the achievement of partnership aims. There are currently seven such groups - DOTS Expansion Working Group; TB-HIV Working Group; Stop TB Working Group on MDR-TB; Working Group on New TB Drugs, Working Group on New TB Diagnostics and Working Group on New TB Vaccines; and Global Laboratory Initiative.

Role and mission
  • To implement research, advocacy and/or operational activities in pursuit of the group's specific area of interest and of the aims of the partnership.
  • To collaborate with other elements of the partnership so as to create synergy and value added to actions taken in pursuit of the aims of the partnership.

Membership is open to institutions and expert individuals involved in the specific area focus of the group.

Secretariat

The role of the secretariat is to serve and support the Stop TB Partnership in terms of administration, operational implementation and strategic innovation in pursuit of the achievement of partnership goals and objectives.

The secretariat is housed by WHO in Geneva.

Click here for more information on the Stop TB Partnership Secretariat