The ITPC is a social movement, a coalition of individuals committed to treatment access, not a non-governmental organization or a network with a secretariat. This loose structure allows us to invest our energies and resources in our treatment advocacy and literacy work instead of having to sustain an organizational structure and move quickly to adapt and evolve to the changing realities of the epidemic. A Code of Governance for the ITPC is available at: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/internationaltreatment preparedness
International Steering Group, Regional Advisory Committees and Thematic Working Groups
An International Steering Group (ISG) provides strategic guidance to the movement and deals with critical operational issues. The ISG is comprised of 30 treatment activists, 15 men and 15 women, from the following regions:

• Central & Western Africa;


• Eastern Africa;


• North Africa & the Middle East;


• Southern Africa;


• East Asia & the Pacific;


• South Asia;


• South East Asia;


• Caribbean;


• Central America;


• South America;


• The Baltic’s & the Newly Independent States;


• Eastern Europe;


• Australia,


• New Zealand & Japan;


• Western Europe;


• The United States & Canada

Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) have been established to foster treatment literacy and advocacy efforts in their respective regions and identify issues to be addressed in the international setting. Finally, Thematic Working Groups have been established to foster work on specific issues (e.g. treatment literacy; women & girls; intravenous drug users; health sector development; drug development, pricing & procurement; trade and intellectual property; HIV-TB)

Funding
The ITPC does not raise funds for day-to-day activities. Members donate their time voluntarily. Funds have been raised for certain projects initiated under the aegis of ITPC (e.g. meeting with generic antiretroviral drug manufacturers), but allied organizations act as the fiscal sponsor and provide financial management for these activities.

Membership
As of April 2005, ITPC had over 470 members from over 100 countries. Membership is invited from all those individuals, people living with HIV/AIDS and their advocates, who are committed to fight for HIV/AIDS treatment access. Members are expected to participate and contribute to the best of their ability. While members are free to act under the name of the movement, they may only act in capabilities that enhance access to treatment, but may not act in formal capabilities such as fundraising without the approval of the International Steering Group. There is no fee or other requirements for membership in ITPC. The ITPC is a coalition of individuals, although members may be active participants or leaders in other local, regional or international networks, NGOs or other groups.

Membership in the ITPC is initiated by joining the ITPC email group at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/internationaltreatmentpreparedness.

Global Advisory Board

The ITPC International Steering Group also serves as the Collaborative Fund’s Global Advisory Board. GAB responsibilities include:

• Set global program priorities and advise Regional Advisory Committees on coordination of efforts;▪ provide advice and suggestions in addressing regional challenges; 


•  Assist in negotiating policy and other conflicts across regions;


• Provide external and objective assessment of progress of the Collaborative Fund as a whole and within regions.


• Advise in the development of Collaborative Fund budgets and assist in fund-raising efforts


• Develop approaches for technical assistance and communication network capacity building


• Develop and implement global advocacy strategies