International Communities Organisation

What International Communities Organisation does

International Communities Organisation (ICO) is a UK-registered non-profit peacebuilding and diplomacy organisation headquartered in London at First Floor, 85 Great Portland Street. Its mission is to achieve peace and reconciliation within divided societies through diplomacy and advocacy on behalf of minority rights. ICO operates three integrated programmatic areas: Communities (grassroots bridge-building), Diplomacy (high-level closed-door mediation, policy expertise, and capacity building), and Societies (project funding delivered through a financial partner for measurable improvements in cross-community lives). The organisation also makes UN Contributions through human rights submissions and global policy dialogue, and in 2024 launched the ICO Research Centre to support states in implementing UN human rights recommendations.

ICO's core services are diplomacy, dialogue facilitation, policy expertise, capacity building, UN advocacy, and research. These are delivered through direct engagement with conflict parties, minority representatives, academics, and governments rather than through commercial distribution channels. The organisation enlists a network of senior practitioners — including international mediators, sociologists of ethnic conflict, and political scientists — to support problem-solving and policy advice. Its GTM motion is community-led: ICO works at the grassroots to build bridges while simultaneously facilitating high-level diplomatic discussions, operating under a deliberately low profile to engage in situations where official processes cannot.

As a non-profit, ICO does not operate on commercial pricing models. It is funded through project-based partnerships with a single unnamed financial partner and runs on a cost structure implied to be modest given its single London office and absence of disclosed headcount. Key 2024 outcomes include the facilitation of two signed peace plans (a historic two-state solution initiative for Israel-Palestine and a unified peace plan for the Former British Southern Cameroons), framework agreements supporting minority-owned businesses in Kosovo, and expanded UN engagement. Leadership sits with Secretary General James Holmes; the company is privately held with no parent, subsidiaries, or disclosed funding rounds.

Name

International Communities Organisation

Legal name

International Communities Organisation

Website

https://internationalcommunities.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Communities Organisation is a London-based non-profit that facilitates diplomatic mediation between conflict parties and supports minority rights in divided societies through UN advocacy, grassroots community engagement, and funded reconciliation projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diplomacy and Peacebuilding Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), International Affairs (92812)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Post-Conflict Recovery, Reconciliation & Social Cohesion Programs (BPADAFAL), Peace, Security Sector Reform & Stabilization Programs (BPADABAH), Peace, Security & Arms Control Organizations (BPADAAAF)

Keywords

• Peacebuilding mediation services
• Diplomatic conflict resolution
• Minority rights advocacy
• Community reconciliation programs
• Inter-communal dialogue

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Project Funding: ICO works with a financial partner to fund projects that demonstrate measurable improvement in the lives of communities across societal lines. Funding supports peacebuilding, governance, economic reconciliation, and minority participation initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

International Communities Organisation (ICO) is a peacebuilding and diplomacy organisation that works to achieve peace and reconciliation within divided societies through three core programmatic areas: Communities (grassroots bridge-building), Diplomacy (high-level mediation and policy expertise), and Societies (project funding for measurable cross-community improvement). It facilitates closed-door mediation between conflict parties, provides access to legal experts, academics, and diplomats for minority representatives, and engages in capacity building for communities to construct shared visions for peace.

Product overview

International Communities Organisation (ICO) operates as a unified peacebuilding and diplomacy organisation with three core programmatic areas: Communities (grassroots bridge-building), Diplomacy (high-level mediation and policy expertise), and Societies (funded community projects). The ICO Research Centre, launched in 2024, provides research support for UN human rights implementation. ICO also produces UN Contributions through human rights submissions and policy advocacy. The organisation's services are integrated around their mission to build trust and enable peace within divided societies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diplomacy Services
• Communities Programme
• Societies Initiative
• ICO Research Centre
• UN Contributions

Quantifiable outcome

• Facilitated two signed peace plans in 2024, including a historic two-state solution initiative for Israel-Palestine and a unified peace plan for Former British Southern Cameroons
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Network of Academics and PractitionerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICO draws on expertise from international law practitioners, peace and conflict academics to engage in problem solving, provide advice, and generate new ideas to support diplomatic work. The network considers the impact of ICO's interventions and develops innovative thinking for peace processes.
• United NationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICO maintains expanded engagement with the United Nations through high-level advocacy, human rights submissions, and global policy dialogue. ICO also launched a Research Centre to support states in implementing UN human rights recommendations.
• Dr. Ceren ŞengülminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMigration Expert - Independent researcher associated with Centre Maurice Halbwachs (École Normale Supérieure), specializing in sociology with focus on Kurdish studies and ethnic nationalism.
• Mr. Bill MarshminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMediation Expert - International mediator for over 30 years, mediating conflicts including business, ethnic, religious, environmental, and political disputes across 50+ countries. Advises governments and international bodies on mediation.
• Mrs. Colina ColeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConflict Resolution Expert - Specialist in conflict resolution management and consulting with expertise in grants management and contract administration for private and public sectors.
• Dr. Malang BojangminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Politics Expert - Holds doctorate in Political Science with research interests in inclusion, public participation, e-government, public sector reforms, and foreign policy of microstates.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Crisis Group: Produces influential field-based conflict analysis and engages governments and multilateral bodies on peace and policy reform. Highly comparable to ICO's diplomacy and policy-expert service modules, though much larger and more report-driven.
• Conciliation Resources: Specializes in peacebuilding in divided societies, particularly around identity-based conflict, with a strong practitioner network. Comparable to ICO in grassroots-to-policy methodology and focus on inclusive dialogue with minority and excluded groups.
• Peace Direct: Funds and partners with local peacebuilders in conflict-affected countries, emphasizing community-led approaches. Comparable to ICO's Communities programme and the principle that solutions come from communities rather than external imposition.
• Minority Rights Group International: Works specifically on minority and indigenous peoples' rights globally, combining community programming with international advocacy (including at the UN). Directly comparable to ICO's minority-rights focus and UN contribution work.
• Search for Common Ground: One of the largest dedicated peacebuilding NGOs globally. Directly comparable to ICO in mission (transforming how individuals, communities, and countries deal with conflict), methodology (working at both community and policy levels), and target beneficiaries (divided societies).
• International Alert: One of the older dedicated peacebuilding NGOs, working on conflict sensitivity, security-sector reform, and inclusive governance. Comparable to ICO on policy expertise, capacity building, and engagement with government entities and forums.
• Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre): Operates as a private diplomatic intermediary running confidential mediation processes between conflict parties. Closely aligned with ICO's closed-door mediation and Track-1 diplomacy offering, though headquartered in Geneva with broader geographic scope.

Emerging players

• Forum on Early Warning and Early Response (FEWER): Network focused on conflict prevention through early warning systems and collaborative response. Comparable to ICO in its practitioner-network model and focus on prevention/diplomacy, but operates at the early-warning stage rather than closed-door mediation.
• Mediators Beyond Borders International: Builds mediation capacity globally by deploying experienced volunteer mediators to local peace processes. Comparable to ICO in emphasis on practitioner networks and field mediation, though smaller and more volunteer-driven.

Broad incumbents

• Carter Center: Long-established international NGO working on conflict resolution, election monitoring, and human rights through high-level diplomacy. Comparable in mission scale and high-level diplomatic engagement, but operates across many issue areas beyond peacebuilding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/intcommunitiesorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-communities-organisation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Communities Organisation