Urge Congress to fully fund the Global Fragility Act
The Global Fragility Act (GFA) was enacted into law on a bipartisan basis in December 2019 to address the causes of conflict before they balloon into crises. The GFA provides the U.S. government with a mandate and new approach, partnering with local communities to address fragility and mitigate violent conflict. Under this law, the U.S. government is on the verge of selecting the first five priority countries to receive dedicated diplomatic attention and peacebuilding assistance. Now it is up to Congress to make sure that the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will have the funding needed to implement this new plan.
Please sign today and urge your Senators and Representatives in Congress to support the implementation of the Global Fragility Act by funding the Complex Crises Fund, Prevention and Stabilization Fund, and the Multi-Donor Global Fragility Fund as indicated in the letter below. It is time we prioritize peacebuilding to prevent displacement and humanitarian crises.
Here is the letter we’ll send to Congress on your behalf:
Dear Member of Congress:
As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to support the successful implementation of the bipartisan Global Fragility Act of 2019 (GFA) by ensuring that its three authorized accounts are robustly funded. I recommend that you support appropriating at least $60 million for the Complex Crisis Fund, $200 million for the Prevention and Stabilization Fund, and $25 million for the multi-Donor Global Fragility Fund. Making these strategic investments today to prevent violence and conflict will reduce the need for costlier response in the future.
The COVID-19 pandemic is worsening humanitarian crises, exacerbating fragility and accelerating the potential for violence and conflict around the globe. For the first time in two decades, extreme poverty is on the rise, with roughly 80 million people displaced and 77 million suffering from severe hunger. This year, 239 million people globally - around 1 in every 33 - depend on humanitarian assistance and protection to survive, mainly due to violent conflict. The GFA can help reverse these trends by helping communities prevent and respond to violence and conflict before it worsens.
Enacted in December 2019, the GFA provides the U.S government with a mandate and new authorities to partner with local communities to address fragility and mitigate violent conflict. Under this law, the U.S. government has adopted a new approach — the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability — that aligns U.S. diplomatic, development, and defense efforts to reduce violence in at least five countries experiencing fragility and violence. Through this new strategy, the U.S. government will invest in efforts, such as civil society empowerment, conflict resolution, justice sector reform, good governance, civilian security, and security sector reform. The U.S. government is now on the verge of selecting the first five priority countries that will receive dedicated diplomatic attention and peacebuilding assistance under this initiative.
According to the Institute for Economics and Peace, for every $1 invested in peacebuilding, there is a $16 reduction in the cost of armed conflict. I urge you to support vulnerable communities by fully funding the implementation of the Global Fragility Act. I hope we can count on you to support appropriating at least $60 million for the Complex Crisis Fund, $200 million for the Prevention and Stabilization Fund, and $25 million for the multi-Donor Global Fragility Fund. Let’s make peace a priority.
Sincerely,