Janne Taalas, CEO of CMI. Photo: Olli Puumalainen
On 23 January 2024, Finnish business magazine Talouselämä published an article which paints a misleading picture of CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation and its work. The title of the article, “Covered-up bribery case and ten million euros in hidden subsidies from taxpayers”, is misleading and not based on fact.
Talouselämä’s claim of a “covered-up bribery case” is false. No bribes have been given and CMI has not concealed the matter. In October 2021, CMI became aware that a local consultant in Burundi had asked a local partner organisation for a bribe. Following a swift internal investigation, CMI terminated the contract with the consultant in November 2021. Contrary to Talouselämä’s headline, no bribery took place and we informed donors and the board of the actions taken.
Talouselämä’s second allegation is that CMI receives “hidden subsidies from taxpayers”. This claim is also false. CMI’s funding is transparent and we have nothing to hide. We report in detail to the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and to our other donors on the use of every euro. CMI and its projects have been subject to 74 audits since 2017 to date. In our annual reports, we are transparent about all the funding we receive. We are careful with taxpayers’ money, professional in our work and fair in our approach. This is also reflected in the fact that we have attracted new donors. In 2022, the Finnish state provided 62% of our funding, in 2023 around 54%, and the estimate for 2024 is about 41%.
A large part of our funding comes through open calls for grants, but that is not always possible. Effective peace mediation requires a relationship of trust between conflict parties, donors and CMI, as well as the ability to respond to rapidly changing situations. Our work is based on requests from the parties, on which projects are built and funding sought. Requests are confidential and therefore open procurement is not possible. This is a well-established international practice, which is also applied in humanitarian financing..
We are willing to open up the details of our funding, but not always the content of our projects. We work in some of the most dangerous contexts of the world. In addition to trust, this is a matter of the safety of the parties involved and of our staff. Often the parties at the peace negotiating table do not want publicity for their efforts, and we always respect that. If information were to be made public in Finland, it could lead to lives being put at risk in the country in question or to a breakdown in the trust required for negotiations.
Peace mediation work is needed now more than ever: there are more conflicts in the world than at any time since the Second World War. The demand for this work is growing as geopolitical tensions are eroding the capacity of multilateral organisations. It is important to discuss the means and scope for peace mediation in a fact-based and open manner. CMI wants to contribute to this discussion.
In 20 years, the CMI has become one of the world’s leading peace mediators. It has responsibly and openly contributed to more than 50 peace processes around the world. Peace mediation works, but there are no quick wins –– it is a long-term effort to create the conditions for peace. Ultimately, peace depends on the political will of the parties involved.
Janne Taalas
CEO
CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation