Governance of the Peace Finance Standard

The Peace Finance Standard relies on a robust governance structure, ensuring integrity, effectiveness and the prevention of “peacewashing” in the Peace Finance market.

• Develops and refines the Peace Finance Standard, including both the Peace Bond and Peace Equity Standard.
• Manages the certification process and pre-approves third-party verifiers.
• Approves Peace Partners and reports progress and challenges to the Steering Committee.
• Takes part in the Assurance Roundtable that consists of approved verifiers who meet on a regular basis for the purpose of information exchange.

• Guides and supports the Peace Finance Standards Committee and the Secretariat with strategic advice and oversight.
• Ensures the development and implementation of the Peace Finance Standard align with the initiative’s mission.

Within the fabric of the Peace Finance Standards Committee's (PFSC) standard-setting process, Technical Sub-committees hold a pivotal role. Appointed by the PFSC, these sub-committees will consist of experts convened to delve into the technical complexities of developing robust standards for Peace Finance.

• Developmental insight: The sub-committees conduct research and provide specialised advice on the intricacies involved in crafting and revising standards, ensuring they meet the highest benchmarks of precision and applicability.
• Consensus-driven reports: These groups work on a consensus basis, presenting their findings and recommendations to the PFSC for consideration and further action.

Technical Sub-committees operate with a clear directive from the PFSC to act independently, drawing on their professional acumen to inform the standard-setting process. Their contributions are instrumental in advancing the development of Peace Finance instruments that align with global needs and ethical practices.

The PFSC leverages the expertise of Sector/Project Working Groups to infuse the standard-setting process with practical insights and operational wisdom. These groups are composed of multi-sector experts, each bringing their nuanced understanding of industry-specific challenges and opportunities to the table.

• Targeted advice: Members contribute their informed guidance on sector-specific aspects of standards, ensuring they resonate with, and are operational within, the targeted industries.
• Reporting and consensus: Each working group is tasked with building consensus on their recommendations before reporting back to the PFSC, laying a foundation for standards that are both practical and harmonious with market realities.

The input from these working groups is vital to the PFSC's objective of setting standards that are not just theoretically sound but also practically implementable across diverse sectors. By working closely with these dedicated experts, the PFSC ensures that the development of Peace Finance standards is grounded, inclusive, and reflective of a multi-stakeholder approach.

Through these key functions, the Finance for Peace Secretariat empowers the Standards Committee, enabling it to make informed, effective decisions. This support is vital in the mission to develop and uphold standards that ensure the creation of a responsible and impactful Peace Finance market.

The Peace Finance Industry Network is an informal and voluntary, public-facing, non-executive and advisory body. The network shall serve as an umbrella body to convene leaders and champions from the worlds of finance and the private sector, peacebuilding, development and beyond, to promote Peace Finance approaches, standards and knowledge.