Congress passed the bipartisan Global Fragility Act (GFA) in 2019 to improve the ways in which the U.S. government advances conflict prevention and stabilization around the world. Through the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, the United States is delivering on the vision of the GFA through expanded partnerships and more integrated, adaptive, and effective U.S. government efforts. Together, the United States and our partners are elevating shared approaches to forge a more prosperous and resilient future. By prioritizing prevention, our efforts will potentially save countless lives and significant U.S. taxpayer dollars in the years to come.
In its report to Congress, the Departments of State and Defense, USAID, and other elements of the U.S. government documented early progress under the plans with our partners in Haiti, Libya, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, and the Coastal West African countries of Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, and Togo. Through this initiative, we are helping to foster more resilient and self-reliant U.S economic and security partners over the long term.
- In Coastal West Africa, we collaborate regionally to prevent the spread of violent extremism from the Sahel. U.S. engagement and programs in vulnerable border areas help strengthen social cohesion and expand equitable access to livelihoods, improve government responsiveness and service delivery, and bolster security force capacity and accountability. Early evidence shows a reduction of conflict in border areas and an increase in trust between local communities and government authorities and the security forces who serve them. Our partner governments are also taking important steps to address the longstanding marginalization of certain ethnic communities and engaging more with youth and women in at-risk communities.
- In Haiti, we respond and adapt to a multi-pronged crisis. In the near term, we are addressing increased volatility amid complex political and security crises. Through deepened U.S. diplomatic engagement, we mobilized international support and funding for the Multinational Security Support mission and continue to support a Haitian-led transitional political process. At the same time, we are advancing a foundation for more durable stability in Haiti through a phased approach that supports inclusive governance, citizen security, and Haitian-driven political processes. The U.S. government continues to engage with a wide range of Haitian stakeholders, including civil society, the diaspora, faith-based organizations, and multilateral organizations, to inform adaptations as conditions evolve.
- In Libya, we engage countrywide in new ways, with a focus on southern communities, to reduce divisions and lay a foundation for stability. U.S. diplomatic efforts and development programming spur incremental but meaningful progress on reconciliation, citizen engagement, economic empowerment, and local governance in the south and at the national level. The U.S. government now plays a more active role in fostering security and economic integration and dispute resolution-working with historically marginalized communities and generating positive momentum among governing bodies, international stakeholders, and donors to support broader stabilization and development.
- In Mozambique, we enhance social cohesion and community resilience among displaced and resident populations. These efforts help improve governance in conflict-affected areas crucial to transforming the country's long-term economic and foreign investment landscape. The U.S. government launched a range of new peacebuilding, resilience, and stabilization programs in northern Mozambique that are yielding early results. Through deepened diplomatic engagement, the United States has pressed for progress on government stabilization and reconstruction plans for the north and developed more cohesive approaches with Mozambique's international partners to promote their support and collaboration. The U.S. government will leverage and adapt PSF-funded programs and partnerships to address the current post-election crisis and promote stabilization, democratic governance, and inclusive dialogue.
- In Papua New Guinea (PNG), we advance a stable partnership by strengthening the local capacity to prevent violence and improving economic opportunity, justice systems, and security forces. These efforts help catalyze local action in target provinces to advance gender equality, support women's political and economic participation, and bolster youth civic awareness in this critical Pacific Island country.
Across these efforts, the U.S. government solidified wider international partnerships. We pursued more structured engagement with international donor partners and invested in collaborative programming and funding mechanisms. These include the joint U.S.-German Coastal States Stability Mechanism in Coastal West Africa and the Reconstruction Fund for Murzuq in southern Libya. We grew international partner contributions to global mechanisms like the new Complex Risk Analytics Fund that fills critical data gaps on conflict and prevention. The United States advanced conflict prevention and fragility priorities in our engagement with multilateral development banks through the MDB Evolution initiative as well as through the recent International Development Association 21 replenishment negotiations and pursued improved collaboration with the private sector to advance locally driven economic development.
As the U.S. government continues implementation of the bipartisan GFA, we expect its focus, resources, and approaches to continue to improve how the United States partners to address conflict and foster stability. We are still in the early phases of this long-term endeavor. Progress in fragile contexts will require an enhanced focus on learning and adaptation. As we adapt and improve our efforts with partners, we work to not only prevent conflict and alleviate suffering, but also to create conditions in which our partners are better placed to address the drivers of fragility that can threaten U.S. national security.
