The Prevention and Protection Working Group, a coalition of over 200 humanitarian, peacebuilding, human rights, and atrocity prevention experts and organizations, supports robust funding for peacebuilding and atrocity prevention efforts in the State Department, Foreign Operations and Related Programs (SFOPs) appropriations bill through the following accounts.
Atrocities Prevention Fund and Atrocities Prevention Training
The Atrocities Prevention Fund enables the State Department to implement recommendations of the Atrocity Early Warning Task Force and to support programs that aim to prevent mass atrocities and genocide. It is the State Department’s only funding dedicated solely to the prevention of mass atrocities and genocide. Atrocities Prevention Training funds support training of officials serving in at-risk countries as mandated in the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act (P.L. 115-441). Currently only the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor receives such funding, despite the continued need at USAID.
Complex Crises Fund
The Complex Crises Fund (CCF) enables USAID to rapidly respond to early warning signs and escalating conflicts with the aim of preventing mass violence. The CCF is in consistently high-demand as it is the only account of its kind, quickly filling immediate, short-term gaps during emergent crises.
Conflict and Stabilization Operations
The Conflict and Stabilization Operations account supports the work of the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO). CSO delivers technical expertise and advanced data analytics tools that help to prevent and resolve conflict. CSO also deploys stabilization advisors and works alongside partners across the Departments of State and Defense and USAID.
Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities
Contributions for Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) funds U.S. assessed dues to UN peacekeeping. UN Peacekeeping missions reduce violence, protect civilians, and stabilize the most volatile of conflict zones. A congressionally-imposed cap of 25% on U.S. contributions to UN peacekeeping has led to over $1 billion in U.S. arrears. Lifting this cap is critical for the on-time payment of peacekeeping assessments at the full rate negotiated and agreed to by the United States.
Contributions to International Organizations
The Contributions to International Organizations account (CIO) at the State Department pays U.S. dues to the UN regular budget, which supports several the UN’s core functions. CIO also supports the work of more than 40 U.N. affiliated agencies as well non-U.N. multilateral organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organization of American States (OAS).
Democracy Fund at USAID
The Democracy Fund at USAID supports the work of USAID’s Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation, and programs that foster the rule of law, strengthen citizen-responsive governance, protect civil and human rights, and support free and fair elections. It also provides technical assistance across USAID to improve programming and policy related to democracy, human rights, and governance.
Human Rights and Democracy Fund at the State Department
The Human Rights and Democracy Fund (HRDF) allows the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor to respond quickly and flexibly during political crises and transitions to minimize human rights abuses, support human rights and democracy activists, and open civic space in authoritarian regimes and nascent democracies.
Prevention and Stabilization Fund and Multi-Donor Global Fragility Fund
The Global Fragility Act (P.L. 116-94) established two new funds to support efforts to prevent conflict and increase stability. The first of these is the Prevention and Stabilization Fund, which supports diplomatic and development efforts to stabilize conflict-affected areas and address the root causes state fragility. It also supports implementation of the Global Fragility Strategy. Also established was the Multi-Donor Global Fragility Fund, which aims to catalyze global action among private sector, government, and multilateral partners to strengthen good governance and conflict resolution capacity in fragile states.
Reconciliation Programs
People-to-people reconciliation programs aim to strengthen social cohesion by bringing together individuals of different ethnic, religious, and political affiliations in conflict areas. The fund is managed by USAID’s Center for Conflict and Violence Prevention.
Transition Initiatives
The Transition Initiatives account promotes stability, peace, and democracy by taking advantage of emerging opportunities for change during political transitions and by supporting local initiatives with flexible programming. The Transition Initiatives account is managed by USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives, which was formed to bridge the gap between humanitarian aid and long-term development aid.
United States Institute of Peace
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute founded by Congress in 1984 to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict globally. It works with local civil society and governments abroad to apply its analysis and research through training, policy recommendations and programming.
