Peace Brigades International

What it reported doing in 2024

COLOMBIA PROJECT: In 2024, Colombia made notable strides in implementing the 2016 Peace Agreement, particularly with the establishment of the Agrarian Jurisdiction and the National Reincorporation System. Additionally, the adoption of the Public Policy to Dismantle Criminal Conducts and Organizations marked a significant institutional advancement. These developments reflect a commitment to fulfilling the peace accord's objectives. However, substantial challenges remain, especially regarding the full implementation of the agreement's Ethnic Chapter, which continues to face delays and insufficient progress. Simultaneously, the Total Peace Policy, aimed at achieving broader national reconciliation, is under intense scrutiny due to its limited tangible outcomes amid ongoing humanitarian crises. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), following its April 2024 visit to Colombia, highlighted the resurgence and reconfiguration of armed conflict as a critical factor exacerbating violence. The IACHR emphasized that the expansion of non-state armed groups and their control over territories significantly contribute to the threats and violence faced by social and community leaders, particularly those from Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and peasant communities, as well as members of social movements and trade unions. This renewed conflict has led to severe humanitarian consequences across various regions. In 2024 alone, there were 76 reported massacres resulting in 267 victims, according to Indepaz. The violence has manifested in multiple forms, including forced displacement, community confinement, forced recruitment of youth, silencing of dissent, subjugation, and sexual violence. These human rights violations have disproportionately affected vulnerable populations, especially in rural and marginalized areas. Peace Brigades International (PBI), through its field presence, has documented the profound impact of this violence on ethnic and peasant communities. Their observations span several regions and organizations, including CAHUCOPANA in Northeastern Antioquia, the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, and Afro-descendant and Indigenous communities residing in the Humanitarian and Biodiversity Zones of Bajo Atrato and Cacarica. Other affected groups include the Association for Integral Sustainable Development of La Perla Amazónica (ADISPA) in Putumayo, Community Councils representing Afro-Colombian populations in rural Buenaventura (Valle del Cauca), the Association of Small-Scale Farmers of the Cimitarra River Valley (ACVC) in Magdalena Medio, and the Peasant Association of Catatumbo (ASCAMCAT). These communities continue to face the brunt of the conflict's resurgence, often caught between competing armed actors vying for territorial dominance. Despite the government's peace initiatives, the lack of security guarantees and the persistence of violence undermine trust in the peace process and hinder the reintegration and development efforts envisioned in the 2016 accord. In conclusion, while 2024 saw institutional progress in Colombia's peacebuilding efforts, the resurgence of armed conflict and the humanitarian toll it exacts on vulnerable communities underscore the urgent need for more effective implementation of peace policies. Addressing the root causes of violence, ensuring the safety of community leaders, and fulfilling the commitments of the Ethnic Chapter are essential steps toward achieving lasting peace and justice in Colombia.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 72.9%; rating input score 73
• Program expense ratio: 74.6%; rating input score 75
• Fundraising efficiency: $11.2 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Fail
  • Conducts field audits: Fail
  • May suspend future funding: Fail
  • Requires financial reports: Fail
  • Conducts site visits: Fail
  • Requires grant agreements: Fail
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 50%; rating input score 50; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 2.2%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.82; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.54; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -0.9% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -11.4% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings