The Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) is an independent, non-partisan, and not-for-profit civil society organization working on issues of peace and development in Pakistan. It is registered under Section 42 of the Companies Act, 2017. It was established in September 2003 by a group of concerned citizens who realized that there was a need to approach the issues of peace and development in an integrated manner. CPDI is the first initiative of its kind in Pakistan. It seeks to inform and influence public policies and civil society initiatives through research-based advocacy and capacity building in order to promote citizenship, build peace and achieve inclusive and sustainable development. Areas of special sectoral focus include the right to information, strong local governments, transparency & accountability in governance, peace and tolerance, democratic values, rule of law, and climate change.
Since its establishment, CPDI has implemented a large number of projects and campaigns that involved research, comparative analysis of laws, drafting of bills, review and analysis of official drafts, stakeholder consultations, sensitization workshops for government officers and legislators, capacity building of journalists on RTI and investigative reporting, media campaigns to highlight the importance of RTI and training of government officers. CPDI has rich experience of analyzing government policies, including legislative proposals and laws, budget documents, and government performance from the perspective of efficiency, transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability. It has also been analyzing the performance of information commissions, local governments, police departments, and other public bodies. It has also tested and been using the methodology that GIZ has developed (in consultation with RTI experts), especially in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. CPDI has also been implementing a number of youth empowerment programs, including annual youth internships and summer schools on RTI and budget transparency.
CPDI is a member of/affiliated with many national and international associations including United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) Coalition, Freedom of Information Advocates Network, South Asian Alliance for Budget Accountability (SAABA), Affiliated Network for Social Accountability (ANSA), NGO Major Group, Citizens Network for Budget Accountability (CNBA), Insaf Network Pakistan, Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE), Pakistan Alliance for Inclusive Elections (PAIE), Coalition for Right to Information (CRTI), Coalition for Elections and Democracy (CED) and Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Alliance (SUNCSA) Pakistan.
CPDI has implemented numerous projects with the support of multiple donors including OSF, NED, UNDP, UNOPS, UNESCO, European Union, DFID, USAID, Commonwealth Foundation, IFES/ Global Affairs Canada, and FNF.
