For year ended 31 December 2020 About International Alert International Alert works with people directly affected by conflict to build lasting peace. We focus on solving the root causes of conflict with people from across divides. From the grassroots to policy level, we bring people together to build sustainable peace. www.international-alert.org © International Alert 2021 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without full attribution. Layout: D.R. ink Cover image: © U Aung/Xinhua/Alamy Live News Contents Organisational details 2 Message from the Chair of our Board of Trustees 3 Annual report 4 About us 5 Vision 5 Mission 5 Summary of our work in 2020 6 Highlights 6 Activities 7 Locations 8 Progress against our goals in 2020 10 The impact of COVID-19 on our work 16 Progress against our organisational priorities in 2020 20 Our organisational priorities for 2021 22 Strategic report 24 Structure, governance and management 24 Financial review 25 Acknowledgements 28 Accounts 32 Organisational details Trustees Ambassador (retired) Carey Cavanaugh* (US) – Chair (also directors of Gregor Stewart (UK) – Honorary Treasurer (until 30 June 2020) the company) Richard Langstaff* (UK/US) – Honorary Treasurer (from 1 November 2020) Hans Bolscher* (Netherlands) Emine Bozkurt (Netherlands) (from 14 September 2020) Nina Caspersen (Denmark/UK) (from 1 September 2020) Christopher Deri (US) Abir Haj Ibrahim (Syria/UAE) Padma Jyoti (Nepal) (until 30 April 2020) Oliver Kemp (UK) (until 9 March 2020) Lisa Lynn Rose* (US/Northern Ireland) Erin Segilia Chase* (US/UK) * Denotes member of the Strategy, Risk and Audit Committee Principal officers Michael Young, Chief Executive Officer (until 26 February 2021) Mohsin Baluch, Chief Finance Officer (until 14 April 2020) Jessica Banfield, Director of Programmes (until 22 January 2021) Liz Dobson, Director of Resource Development (from 16 March 2020) Julian Egan, Director of Advocacy and Communications (from 4 May 2020) Senait Fassil, Director of Finance and Operations (from 27 July 2020) Susan McCready, Chief Operating Officer, Company Secretary (until 13 March 2020) Auditors Haysmacintyre LLP, 10 Queen Street Place, London, EC4R 1AG, UK Bankers National Westminster Bank, PO Box 35, 10 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1TT, UK Solicitors YESS Law (employment legal advice), New Wing, Somerset House, London, WC2R 1LA, UK Clarkslegal (immigration legal advice), 12 Henrietta Street, London, WC2E 8LH, UK Status Company limited by guarantee without share capital, governed by Memorandum and Articles of Association, incorporated on 6 August 1987, registered as a charity on 24 September 1987. Registered office 346 Clapham Road, London, SW9 9AP, UK International Alert is a registered charity (registration number 327553) and a company limited by guarantee (registration number 2153193) in England and Wales. International Alert | Annual Report and Accounts 2020 | Annual Report | 2 Message from the Chair of our Board of Trustees We remain in the midst of an unfolding tragedy, with critical question: How do we ensure that our actions more than 157 million people in nearly 200 countries live up to our ideals of fostering inclusive and having been infected by the coronavirus disease sustainable change? (COVID-19), resulting in over three million deaths. Like many organisations, International Alert spent COVID-19’s impact has been staggering, shuttering much of 2020 unable to work in the ways to which cities and nations, crippling economies and we have become accustomed: large gatherings were transforming everyday life for billions of people. The prohibited, international travel curtailed and most unprecedented success in rapidly developing several direct contact replaced by remote communication. highly effective vaccines means there is promising The intimate face-to-face engagement that is light at the end of the tunnel, but significant hurdles so fundamental to peacebuilding was simply remain to manufacture, distribute and administer not possible. This necessitated new innovative sufficient vaccines to protect the entire planet. As approaches from our headquarters and country London, New York and Paris begin to reopen, Brazil, teams – our people responded to the challenge with India and Nepal are now seized with significant conviction and creativity. Our teams in Kyrgyzstan, outbreaks and some fear that large parts of Africa Nigeria and the Philippines designed new projects could be next – vaccine rollout there under the to actively address unique conflict dynamics caused COVAX initiative only began on 1 March 2021. by COVID-19; others, such as our DRC and Lebanon teams, adapted their existing work to take account What COVID-19 did not shut down in 2020 was of this new context. Their hard work and dedication conflict and war. United Nations Secretary-General let International Alert continue to deliver high-quality António Guterres’ call for a global ceasefire went peacebuilding across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle unmet – fighting continued in Afghanistan, Iraq, East and North Africa. Syria and Yemen; major hostilities erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh; Last year, as COVID-19 seemed certain to disrupt and violent insurgency was endemic from the not only our traditional methods of operations, but Maghreb to Congo to the Horn of Africa. For many, also the level of governmental funding provided especially women, COVID-19 also resulted in a for peacebuilding and humanitarian activities, we ‘shadow pandemic’ of domestic violence. The strains developed a Resilience Plan to adjust to this new that COVID-19 placed on basic services such as reality and build a better version of ourselves in healthcare and education revealed chronic needs, the years ahead. This plan contains several bold and the rollout of mass vaccination campaigns aspirations (you can read about them on page 22), brought the disparities between the global north and but chief among them is a commitment to making south into even starker contrast. Peacebuilding work International Alert a more diverse, equitable and is needed now more than ever. inclusive organisation. To that effect, we are now partnering with PeaceNexus (a Swiss foundation The issue facing the global community today is not dedicated to supporting peacebuilding institutions) to simply how do we emerge from this devastating help make that goal a reality in 2021. pandemic intact, but how do we enhance international cooperation to better respond to such threats and build more equitable, just and peaceful societies. For peacebuilding, humanitarian and Carey Cavanaugh development organisations, this is tied to another US Ambassador (retired), Chair of International Alert 3 | Annual Report | Annual Report and Accounts 2020 | International Alert Annual report Trustees’ and strategic reports International Alert | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | Annual Report | 4 About us International Alert works with people directly affected by conflict to build lasting peace. We focus on solving the root causes of conflict with people from across divides. From the grassroots to the policy level, we bring people together to build sustainable peace. Peace is just as much about communities living together, side by side, and resolving their differences without resorting to violence, as it is about people signing a treaty or laying down their arms. Peace is when you can walk your children to school in safety, feed your family or make a living, no matter who you are. That is why we bring people together to inspire and amplify our voice for peace. In collaboration with communities, partners, businesses and policy-makers, we turn our in- depth research and analysis into practical solutions that make a difference on the ground. Vision Our vision is that people and their societies can resolve conflicts without violence, working together to build sustainable and inclusive peace. Mission Our mission is to break cycles of violence and to build sustainable peace through: working with people directly affected by violent conflict to find lasting solutions; shaping policies and practices to reduce and prevent violence, and to support sustainable peace; and collaborating with all those striving for peace to strengthen our collective voice and impact. 5 | Annual Report | Annual Report and Accounts 2020 | International Alert Summary of our work in 2020 In 2020, we ran projects in 21 countries and territories, with training, research or one-off consultancies and business partnerships in a further 15. In total, we implemented 76 projects, 15 of which took place in multiple regions. Despite the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to continue delivering high- quality peacebuilding across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. conflict sensitivity approaches that go beyond the Highlights basic ‘do no harm’ principle to building positive peace in resilience programmes in Nigeria Here are some key highlights of our impact during and expanding into Chad and Niger, both new 2020: countries of operation for us. • In the Middle East and North Africa, we stepped • We successfully adapted our programming up our work on access to essential services for approaches to respond to COVID-19, including marginalised groups and improving participatory developing pandemic-specific workstreams, governance, to help address the