GBC NATIONAL CONNECTIONS INITIATIVE

A GBC Program to Support National Business Coalitions on HIV/AIDS

Initiative Summary & Objectives
National Connections Services and Benefits
National Business Coalition Profiles (listed by counrtry)
Regional Business Coalition Profiles
NBC Partner Organizations
Resources

Initiative Summary

The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC), the pre-eminent organization leading the global business response to the AIDS, TB and Malaria pandemics, created GBC National Connections to support national business coalitions (NBCs) that are associated with effective public/private partnerships and are good local implementing partners to GBC member companies.

Since 2001, GBC has had enormous success in its global expansion and in mobilizing the private sectors engagement in the fight against HIV/AIDS (and more recently, TB and malaria). The GBC National Connections program seeks to benefit national business coalitions through advocacy, specialized services, and access to a network of over 200 leading companies from around the world. GBC believes the extensive synergies between global and national efforts effectively buttress and improve the scale and quality of current private sector programs. This initiative therefore seeks to foster closer alignment at the global, regional and national levels.

The GBC National Connections program seeks to build on the work of the World Bank, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and UNAIDS, who have been working to assist the establishment of National Business Coalitions on HIV/AIDS (NBC). GBC National Connections especially supports coalitions that meet and follow the "Guidelines for Building Business Coalitions", jointly released by World Bank, WEF and UNAIDS in November of 2004. These guidelines include NBCs which:

Are membership based with direct representation from companies of both multinational and national companies
Have a dedicated Secretariat, and are a legally registered entity in-country
Have a clear work-plan with measurable goals and a sustainable financing model (business plan)
Demonstrate accountability and transparency
Demonstrate commitment in the fight against HIV/AIDS

This is GBC’s first formal effort to strengthen active NBCs.

In 2006, to further support this work, GBC established a regional office in Nairobi, Kenya to lead the GBC National Connections program. The office in Nairobi is closely supported by GBCs offices in Johannesburg and Paris in program implementation and roll-out in Southern Africa and Francophone Africa respectively. Also supporting the initiative at a global level are GBCs offices in New York, Beijing, Geneva, Ukraine and Moscow.

In addition, the GBC Nairobi office is the acting Secretariat for the Pan African Business Coalition (PABC) network of NBCs.

Initiative Objectives

The GBC National Connections program's objective is to support the increased range and depth of private sector efforts against AIDS, TB and malaria. Additionally, the program aims to organize businesses at the national level, partnering and providing leadership to national business response strategies and facilitating linkages with other global private sector efforts.

Services and Benefits

Through the GBC National Connections program, NBCs receive:

Recognition as a formal partner of GBC and profiling on GBC's website
AIDS, TB and Malaria technical support and capacity building guidance from relevant GBC regional directors
Networking with international donor organizations through GBC network and events, leading to opportunities to develop partnerships
Participation and collaboration in releveant regional GBC events and meetings
Networking with GBC’s network of over 200 international member companies and key partner organizations through various GBC initiatives and events
Networking with the Global Fund Private Sector Delegation (PSD) through GBC’s role as the Global Fund private sector focal point, and ability to contribute to the Global Fund board policy consultations
Connection to the wider community of national and regional business coalitions in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean

Regional Business Coalitions
Africa | Pan African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (PABC)
Arab Region | AIDS Business Coalition in the Arab Region (ABCAR)
Asia | Asian Pacific Business Coalition on AIDS (APBCA)

NBC Partner Organizations

Resources

For More Information, Please Contact:

Patricia Mugambi Ndegwa
Director, East and Central Africa Office
Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC)
Location: Power Technics Complex
Mombasa Road, Nairobi, Kenya
Office Tel: +254 (0) 203547357/8
Mobile: +254 (0) 721 555830
Fax: +254 (0) 20 3547359
E-Fax: +1 646 219 3173
Email: pmugambi@gbcimpact.org
Julie M. Cege
Program Manager, East & Central Africa office
Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC)
Location: Power Technics Complex
Mombasa Road, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254(0)20 6930512;254 (0)20 3547358
Mobile: +254 (0)721-973-882
Fax:254 (0)20 3547359
Email: jcege@gbcimpact.org