How Congress Can Break Down Barriers to GFA Implementation

Publisher: Alliance for Peacebuilding

Publication date: March 13, 2023

To successfully implement the GFA, Congress and the Administration must develop a close partnership that requires a robust and regular communications strategy to build trust, share developments, create buy-in, and ensure sustained commitment to the GFA. The GFA offers a much-needed opportunity for the U.S. Government to experiment with programming, which could ultimately be the way ahead beyond the five priority countries and region for U.S. government strategies in conflict affected and fragile states. The Administration and Congress must foster and ensure a close partnership to communicate challenges and successes and what it needs for the GFA to succeed. While there are many bureaucratic, operational, and legal barriers and challenges, Congress can now address the following issues to ensure the successful implementation of the GFA.

Recommendations:

1     Congress should reduce and provide flexibility with earmarks.

2    Congress should ensure funding for the GFA implementing agencies and through the GFA-specific accounts that allow for flexibility, adaptive management, local leadership and ownership, and strategic alignment.

3    Congress should provide additional funding to address the severe personnel shortages at U.S. embassies/missions implementing the GFA.

4     Congress should provide exceptions to the “material support” prohibition for peacebuilding organizations.