The Global Fund represents a new approach to international health financing: It is a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector, affected communities and technical partners. This partnership informs the division of labor between the Global Fund and other international, multilateral, bilateral and national actors, and is expressed at the different levels of the Global Fund’s work: In the way proposals are developed and programs are implemented at the country level, and the way in which policy, operational and funding decisions are taken in the Global Fund’s governing bodies.

Partnerships take on a range of forms, from formal relationships to ad-hoc consultations. The Secretariat plays a facilitating and coordinating role, but in several cases - especially in relations between external partners and the Country Coordinating Mechanisms and its members - the Secretariat is not actively involved. As the Global Fund is mainly a financing institution and does not have offices in-country, it is dependent on a chain of efficient and effective partnerships at all levels in order to accomplish its goals. The Global Fund is very conscious of the need to improve its interactions with partners to avoid duplication and overlap, and to ensure coherence in approaches to development and health interventions.

The partnership environment and mechanisms are undergoing a comprehensive review as part of the Five-Year Evaluation of the Global Fund. The Global Fund will develop a Partnerships Strategy which will aim to create a coherent approach to this area of work, including clear definitions of responsibilities and accountabilities.