The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)

The IASC was established in June 1992 in response to General Assembly Resolution 46/182 that called for strengthened coordination of humanitarian assistance. Within the humanitarian community IASC provides a forum that brings together a broad range of UN and non-UN humanitarian partners including UN humanitarian agencies, the International organization for Migration (IOM), three consortia of major international NGOs and the Red Cross movement represented by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The primary role of the IASC is to formulate humanitarian policy to ensure coordinated and effective humanitarian response to both complex emergency and to natural disasters.

IASC Mechanism

Broadly, there are four sets of processes that constitute IASC mechanism: (a) the IASC, itself composed of the principals of IASC member agencies, (b) IASC Working Group (IASC-WG), (c) IASC Subsidiary Bodies and (d) Weekly IASC meetings. The IASC, chaired by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, meets at an executive level twice a year to discuss broad policy issues brought before it by agencies. The IASC-WG, formed of senior representatives of the agencies, meets four times a year to recommend policy options to the IASC and resolve the more technical and strategic challenges of day-to-day operations in the field. The IASC Subsidiary Bodies are created for a limited period of time to discuss issues and to develop guidelines and policies at a technical level. Their work often forms the basis for lASC WG discussions and, ultimately, for IASC decisions.

IASC website: http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/iasc/content/default.asp

The IASC Task Force on HIV:

The IASC Task Force  on HIV was reconvened in early 2007 for a period of three years following a decision by the 67th IASC Working Group meeting; membership comprises UN organizations, NGOs, the Red Cross movements and IOM. The Task Force is co-chaired by UNAIDS and IFRC. Its objectives of the Task Force are as follows:

• To assess the state of implementation of 2005 IASC Guidelines for HIV/AIDS Interventions in Emergency Settings and the integration of HIV into humanitarian situations.
• To revise the IASC Guidelines on HIV/AIDS Interventions in Emergency Settings including the elaboration of new modules
• To update existing training materials and developing new ones as needed (and designation of institutional home for these materials)

Key Documents

New - Conclusions and recommendations of the IASC Task Force on HIV - 29 September 2009

New - Conclusions and recommendations of the IASC Task Force on HIV - 03 July 2009

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2009_IASC Task Force - Workplan

Conclusions and recommendations - IASC TF meeting - 16 March 2009

2008_IASC Task Force Report

Conclusions and recommendations - IASC TF meeting - 13 and 14 October 2008

Conclusions and recommendations - IASC TF meeting - 23 and 24 April 2008

Conclusions and recommendations - IASC TF meeting - 11 and 12 February 2008

IASC Task Force on HIV - Workplan 2008 (Nov 2007) 

Summary and conclusions from meeting of the IASC Task Force on HIV (November 9, 2007)

Summary and conclusions from meeting of the IASC Task Force on HIV (July 11, 2007)

Summary and conclusions from meeting of the IASC Task Force on HIV (April 26, 2007)

HIV in Humanitarian Situations
Inter Agency Standing Committee, 68th Working Group meeting, June 2007
Keywords:  IASC, HIV, humanitarian settings

HIV in Humanitarian Situations, Global and Country Level Coordination Mechanisms
Inter Agency Standing Committee, 67th Working Group meeting, March 2007
Keywords: IASC, coordination, HIV, humanitarian settings


Visit the ICVA website [registered members - important documents relating to the IASC TF on HIV are located at this website repository]