Civil Society is generally understood to mean the collection of voluntary, civic and social groups and institutions that do not fall under the realm of "government" nor are they part of the market (e.g. corporations and businesses).

Civil society includes community organizations, consumer groups, academia, clubs and societies, charities, activist groups, arts groups, cultural groups and organizations, non-government organizations, non-profit organizations, religious organizations, trade unions, professional associations, voluntary organizations and others.

ICAD currently plays a leadership role to encourage and enable Canadian civil society participation in the following structures:

• 2010 Canadian G8 Civil Society Coordinating Committee (with a particular focus on HIV and AIDS issues)
• Global Treatment Access Group (GTAG)
• UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB)
• Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM)

In 2008, ICAD developed a Public Engagement Strategy to guide this work.