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FCNL lobbies Congress to fund peacebuilding accounts such as the Complex Crises Fund, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and international peacekeeping operations. These programs are essential for preventing the outbreak of conflict, responding to instability and violence, and protecting civilian lives.

Investing in conflict prevention through diplomacy and aid will make the United States safer and reduce costs associated with expensive military interventions. Congress must act to address root causes of conflict through robust diplomatic and development funding.

Funding levels for peacebuilding accounts in Fiscal Year 2020

Peacebuilding Accounts We Lobby For:

The Complex Crises Fund (CCF) enables the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to prevent and respond to unforeseen crises and conflicts. It is the only account of its kind, and it works because it is structured as a global, flexible and rapid-response fund.

The Conflict Stabilization Operations account supports the work of the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) at the U.S. Department of State, which works with partners to anticipate, prevent, and respond to conflict.

The Human Rights and Democracy Fund (HRDF) functions as a “venture capital fund” for democracy and human rights, enabling the State Department to respond quickly and flexibly to changing needs and opportunities to advance democracy and promote human rights.

The Atrocities Prevention Fund facilitates programming by the State Department to prevent atrocities, including to implement recommendations of the interagency Atrocities Prevention Board.

The Democracy Fund at USAID supports the work of USAID’s Center of Excellence for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance, which exercises broad oversight over the global democracy, human rights, and governance programs implemented by USAID.

People-to-People Reconciliation Programs include conflict mitigation and reconciliation programs and activities which bring together individuals of different ethnic, religious or political backgrounds from areas of civil conflict and war.

The Conflict Management and Mitigation — Core Budget funds USAID’s Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation (CMM). CMM analyzes the causes and consequences of violent conflict and supports early warning and early response to violence.

The Transitions Initiatives account supports the work of USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), which facilitates programs that help fragile or conflict-prone countries transition to peace and democracy.

Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) support UN peacekeeping missions that work to reduce conflict in hotspots around the world. UN peacekeepers provide security and the political and peacebuilding support to help countries make the difficult, early transition from conflict to peace.

The Contributions to International Organizations account (CIO) at the State Department includes U.S. dues payments to the UN regular budget, which supports a number of the UN’s core functions. The regular budget finances UN political missions that work to promote peace in key regions of the world.

The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) is a nonpartisan, national institute, founded by Congress that provides expertise, training, analysis, and support to those who are working to build peace. USIP works with governments and civil societies to help their countries solve their own problems peacefully.

Ben Rowles

Ben Rowles

Program Assistant, Peacebuilding

Ben Rowles served as FCNL’s Program Assistant for peacebuilding in 2018-2019. In that capacity he supported FCNL’s lobbying efforts to change U.S. foreign policy from one that is overly militarized to one that prevents, mitigates, and transforms violent conflict.