The Costa Rica Commitment sets five principles for good governance, financial accountability and abuse prevention across 22 countries.
The Latin Evangelical Alliance, known by its Spanish initials AEL, has adopted the Costa Rica Commitment, a set of five principles on transparency and good governance for the alliance and its national members. The commitment was approved at AEL's 13th General Assembly, held Oct. 12-16 in San José, Costa Rica.
AEL, the World Evangelical Alliance's regional body for Latin America, brings together 25 evangelical organizations from 22 countries in Latin America, Spain and the United States.
"Transparency is not just an administrative requirement. It is part of our Christian witness," AEL President Juan Cruz Cellammare said in a statement.
Five principles
Under the Costa Rica Commitment, AEL and its member alliances commit to:
- Up-to-date governing documents. Keeping their bylaws, regulations, statements of faith and leadership information current.
- Clear decision-making. Running meetings in an orderly way and recording decisions through clear procedures and minutes.
- Financial transparency. Working with Christian organizations that specialize in certifying financial transparency.
- Ethics and safeguarding. Adopting codes of ethics and prevention policies that address sexual abuse, reporting channels, personal data protection and the prevention of money laundering.
- Ongoing improvement. Building these standards into strategic planning, with regular evaluation.
The commitment ties leaders' accountability to practices that can be documented and evaluated, both within each organization and toward members, donors and the wider public.
Protecting people as well as resources
The fourth principle places the protection of people alongside responsibility for finances. By committing to codes of ethics on sexual abuse prevention and to clear reporting channels, AEL's member alliances are taking steps to ensure that concerns can be raised and addressed.
Cellammare said the commitment does not suggest that the alliances currently lack transparency. Instead, it reflects a desire to keep improving how they are managed and how they serve.
Support for national alliances
AEL expects each member body to move forward from where it currently stands. To support the process, AEL will provide a digital document registry, free advice from technical experts and document templates adapted to each country.
The commitment has already been sent to the presidents of all member alliances so they can begin implementing it. AEL also encourages denominations, independent churches and partner organizations to adopt the principles as a model.
AEL's next General Assembly is scheduled for Oct. 11-15, 2027, in Lima, Peru. By then the progress on the Costa Rica Commitment is expected to be reviewed.
