Twenty-three faith-based and humanitarian organizations urge robust funding for the international affairs budget including programs that prevent violent conflict, mitigate atrocities and protect civilians.
September 13, 2018
Dear Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate Committees on Appropriations:
With levels of violent conflict on the rise around the globe, the United States is being forced to confront an increasing number of urgent and complex challenges. As Appropriators, your leadership is essential to ensure that the U.S. government makes the necessary investments to both address current conflicts and prevent future violence in the interest of saving lives and protecting national security.
According to a recently-released 2018 OECD report [i], more countries experienced violent conflict in 2016 than at any time in the past 30 years. Yet, in that same year only two percent of total official development assistance went to conflict prevention and related activities. To reduce human suffering and limit the threats posed by violent conflict, more robust investments are needed in funding that works to prevent and address the root causes of violence.
As you move forward in the conference process for the Fiscal Year 2019 State Department, Foreign Operations and Related Programs bill – we urge your support for the following prevention-related accounts at no less than the funding levels listed:
- Complex Crises Fund – $30 million in the base budget for USAID as included in the Senate SFOPS bill
- Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations at the State Department – $5 million specifically for programs as included in the Senate SFOPS bill
- Democracy Fund – $165 million for the State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor as included in the Senate SFOPS bill, and $69.5 million for USAID Bureau of Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance as included in the House SFOPS bill
- Atrocities Prevention – $5 million as included in the Senate SFOPS bill
- Atrocities Prevention Training – $500,000 for the State Department, and $250,000 for USAID as included in the Senate SFOPS bill
- People-to-people Reconciliation Programs – $30 million as included in the Senate SFOPS bill
- Transition Initiatives – $96 million as included in the House SFOPS bill
- U.S. Institute of Peace – $37.9 million as included in both the House and Senate SFOPS bills
- Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities – $1.683 billion as included in the Senate SFOPS bill. Actual needs for the account are $2.384 billion, which would allow the U.S. to meet its obligations at the 28% rate and cover more than $500 million in peacekeeping debt.
- Contributions to International Organizations – $1.467 billion to meet the FY18 enacted level
- Peacekeeping Operations – $655.4 million to meet the FY18 enacted level with the addition of $100 million for the African Peacekeeping Rapid Response Partnership
Finally, we urge that funding for the prevention of violent conflict not come at the expense of other effective humanitarian and development funding. Thank you for your continued support and leadership.
Sincerely,
Alliance for Middle East Peace
Alliance for Peacebuilding
American Psychological Association
Better World Campaign
Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)
Charity & Security Network
Darfur Women Action Group
Educators’ Institute for Human Rights
Friends Committee on National Legislation
George Mason University Genocide Prevention Program
Humanity United Action
Invisible Children
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish World Watch
Mercy Corps
Pax Christi International
Peace Direct
Refugees International
Saferworld
Search for Common Ground
STAND: The Student-Led Movement to End Mass Atrocities
Stop Genocide Now
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
[i] OECD, States of Fragility 2018
Click here to download the letter.
The Prevention and Protection Working Group is a coalition of human rights, religious, humanitarian, anti-genocide, peace and other organizations dedicated to improving U.S. government policies and civilian capacities to reduce violent conflict, prevent mass atrocities, and protect civilians threatened by such crises.