Section II

As members of Inspire, we value the strength we have together, we each value the contributions that others make to our collective advocacy, and we value the strength we gain from learning from each other’s successes and challenges. As members, we are therefore committed to playing our own part in the network to further Inspire’s vision and goal. Each of us has a crucial role to play: in our national arena, working with others to influence national and regional policy and practise; and through our engagement in the network’s collective international advocacy. As Inspire members, we recognise that to have the impact we want on the promotion of universal access to SRHR, we must work closely and effectively together. This Charter defines our expectations of ourselves, and of each other, to make this possible.

The Inspire Partnership is made up of all of its members. It is not an organisation on its own. We acknowledge that we need to work together to ensure that it works well.

We are committed to:

• Playing our part in enabling the SRHR Partnership to achieve its goal and objectives effectively; and
• Participating fully in forums and elections through which SRHR Partnership policy, practice and modes of operation are decided.

We expect others in the Inspire Partnership to:

• Participate fully themselves according to their capacity to do so.

We expect the Steering Committee and Secretariat to:

• Work, and be managed, in a way that respects and develops the member-led nature of the SRHR Partnership.
• Work, and be managed, in a way that ensures the views and priorities of members are reflected in their work.
• Be efficient and cost-effective.
• Ensure transparency four members on how they manage, govern and are financed.
• Provide appropriate opportunities four members’ participation in the Inspire Partnership’s oversight and strategic direction.

We are strong as a SRHR Partnership because we share intelligence, information and lessons about what works and the challenges we face.  We all have a role to play in this.

We are committed to:

• Informing others about the situation in our arena; our successes and challenges; and the lessons we learn about what works.
• Supporting other members, particularly the newer and smaller members, to be as effective as they can be, by sharing expertise, guidance and advice.

We expect others in the SRHR Partnership to:

• Share similar information with us, so that we understand better the reality of our situation and can realise the potential of our work.
• Support us, when we ask for it, with their expertise, guidance and advice

We expect the Steering Committee and Secretariat to:

• Set up and maintain mechanisms for the effective sharing and exchange of information
• Enable us to improve the quality of the work of all SRHR Partnership members, by enabling us to learn from each other.

Inspire can only be strong if we, as members, play a full part in shaping its agenda and taking action on its priorities.

We are committed to

• Participating in forums, both face to face and online, that set priorities and policy positions.
• Playing our part to influence national policy positions that affect the global arena.
• Contributing our expertise by participating in working groups and other forums appropriate to our mandate and the issues on which we focus.
• Participating in the consultative processes of Inspire.
• Respecting, supporting and reflecting in our own statements and work the priorities, policy positions and strategies decided by Inspire.

We expect others in the Partnership to:

• Participate in the same ways, alongside us

We expect the Steering Committee and Secretariat to:

• Keep us informed of opportunities to participate.
• Listen to, and take into consideration, our views and perspectives, and ensure strong consultative and collective decision-making processes.

Our Inspire goal will be achieved if we all play our own part, in the arena appropriate to our organisation.

We are committed to:

• Taking action on SRHR issues in the national or global arena appropriate to our own organisation’s mandate and capabilities.
• Respecting and valuing the contributions, actions and capabilities of others in the network.
• Taking solidarity actions for others in the network when requested and where possible.

We expect others in the network to:

• Respect us and our actions in our own arena, and support them through solidarity actions if we ask them to do so.
• Help us strengthen ourselves through guidance and the provision of information relevant to our situation.

We expect the Steering Committee and Secretariat to:

• Help us to understand the wider context for the issues in our arena.
• Create and maintain platforms enabling us to support each other in our advocacy work.       

We can take effective action, and engage in the network’s debates, only if we know our subject well.

We are committed to

• Knowing the policy/practice situation on SRHR, particularly as it affects global policy processes, in our own arena.
• Respecting the knowledge and expertise of other members.

We expect others in the network to

• Know the situation in their own arenas.
• Respect our knowledge and expertise.

We expect the Steering Committee and Secretariat to

• Respect our knowledge and expertise.
• Inform us of any intelligence on forthcoming changes to the policy/practice situation in our arena.
• Create opportunities for sharing experience and joint learning.

We can be effective in our advocacy only if we are seen to have a united voice. We will have the debates we need, but we will do this internally and respect collective decisions. To the outside world, we will have a consistent, united presence.

We are committed to

• Respecting decisions taken on policy positions in legitimate forums of the network.
• Reflecting those policy positions when representing or referring to Inspire to governments, inter-governmental bodies, the media and other external audiences.
• Behaving in ways that enhance, and do not undermine, the network’s reputation.

We expect others in the Partnership to:

• Similarly respect and reflect collective policy positions.
• Behave in ways that enhance, and do not undermine, the network’s reputation.

We expect the Steering Committee and Secretariat to:

• Ensure that decision-making on policy positions is responsibly and legitimately undertaken, with full consultation with members when feasible and necessary.
• Ensure that those decisions are reflected in the positions taken by all spokespersons and communications that represent the network.

We are at our strongest when we collaborate, and we weaken our cause when we compete.

We are committed to

• Collaboration

We expect the Steering Committee and Secretariat to

• Create the spaces which enable us to seek collaboration with each other
• Ensure there is fair treatment of and equal opportunity for members