APCOM was specifically formed as a coalition of community,government, donor sector representatives, along with UN agencies, to strongly advocate regionally and globally for increased investment in line with the need, scale up of MSM HIV intervention programming and increased coverage, research to address gaps in knowledge, and the promotion of individual rights for MSM and transgender people across the Asia Pacific region.

Launched at the 8th ICAAP, Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2007, and arising from the 2006 Asia Pacific consultation meeting on male sexual health, held in New Delhi, India, APCOM, as a community-led institution, represents the forefront of the challenges and responses to HIV among MSM and transgenders in the Asia Pacific region, strongly advocating for increased investment, scaling up coverage of comprehensive HIV services, and addressing stigma, discrimination and social exclusion of MSM and transgenders across the region. In Tenacity, our 2018-2020strategic plan, APCOM expanded its strategic directions to include addressing health and rights of gay, other men who have sex with men (MSM), and people and communities of diverse sexual orientation, gender identities, and sex characteristics in the region.

(IM)PART: Advocating for LGBTQI Social and Economic Inclusion aims to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals’ vison of leaving no one behind and increase social and economic inclusion of LGBTQI people and communities through engaging the Asian Development Bank and the private sector/businesses in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Philippines and Thailand. This relates to various SDG goals including: SDG 1-No poverty; SDG 3- Good health and well-being; SDG 4- Quality education; SDG 5- Gender equality; SDG 8- Decent work and economic growth; SDG 10 -Reduced inequality; and SDG 17-Partnerships. The main objective and change is for increased awareness of diversity and inclusion issues, reflected as policies, practices, spaces and activities in the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the private sector/businesses.

Engaging the Asian Development Bank on LGBTQI is strategic as changes which can happen at their headquarters can redound to all country they have presence in. Continuing engagements with the private sector/business as evidence shows that LGBTQI people have experiences of exclusion in the workplace, and private sector could be one of the drivers for LGBTQI workplace inclusion. The solutions APCOM and members are proposing include expanding the advocacy,awareness raising, community-led research/data generation,capacity strengthening and ensuring that LGBTQI communities are meaningfully engaged.

This project is a continuation/deepening of the Finance INC project.