Title: Global Fragility and Violence Reduction Act of 2018
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Global Fragility and Violence Reduction Act of 2018
This bill directs the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to submit to Congress: (1) a 10-year Global Initiative to Reduce Fragility and Violence aimed at reducing and addressing the causes of violence, instability, and fragility in at least six priority countries; and (2) a related implementing strategy.
Funds made available in any Act making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for priority countries may be used to support this initiative and individual priority country plans.
The Government Accountability Office shall review U.S. assistance activities in each priority country.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3368 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3368

 To reduce global fragility and violence by improving the capacity of 
    the United States to reduce and address the causes of violence, 
          instability, and fragility, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            August 22, 2018

  Mr. Coons (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Young, and Mr. 
    Graham) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To reduce global fragility and violence by improving the capacity of 
    the United States to reduce and address the causes of violence, 
          instability, and fragility, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Global Fragility and Violence 
Reduction Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) According to the United Nations, an unprecedented 
        68,500,000 people around the world are currently forcibly 
        displaced from their homes. This is the highest level of global 
        displacement ever recorded.
            (2) According to the World Bank, violence and violent 
        conflict, rather than natural disasters, are now the leading 
        causes of displacement worldwide, driving 80 percent of 
        humanitarian needs. The Bank also notes that the same conflicts 
        have accounted for the majority of forcibly displaced persons 
        every year since 1991.
            (3) According to the World Health Organization, preventable 
        forms of violence kill at least 1,400,000 people each year and 
        cause debilitating physical and mental harm to many others.
            (4) According to the Global Peace Index 2018, published by 
        the Institute for Economics and Peace, violence containment 
        costs the global economy $14,760,000,000,000 a year, or 12.4 
        percent of the world's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Index 
        also states, ``Over the last decade, countries with the largest 
        improvements in peace recorded seven times higher per capita 
        GDP growth than those that deteriorated the most.''
            (5) Violence and violent conflict underpin many of the 
        United States Government's key national security challenges. 
        Notably, violent conflicts allow for environments in which 
        terrorist organizations recruit and thrive, while the 
        combination of violence, corruption, poverty, poor governance, 
        and underdevelopment often enable transnational gangs and 
        criminal networks to wreak havoc and commit atrocities 
        worldwide.
            (6) According to new research by the University of Maryland 
        and the University of Pittsburgh, exposure to violence 
        increases support for violence and violent extremism. Research 
        increasingly finds exposure to violence as a predictor of 
        future participation in violence, including violent extremism.
            (7) Since 2002, a body of research has emerged on failed or 
        fragile states. The World Bank defines a fragile state as a 
        low-income country characterized by weak state capacity or weak 
        state legitimacy, leaving citizens vulnerable to a range of 
        shocks.
            (8) United States foreign policy and assistance efforts in 
        highly violent and fragile states remain governed by an 
        outdated patchwork of authorities that prioritize responding to 
        immediate needs rather than solving the underlying problems 
        that cause them. United States ambassadors, United States 
        Agency for International Development mission directors, and 
        Department of Defense combatant commanders do not have the 
        policy framework or tools they need to direct United States 
        policy or assistance towards a long-term, overarching strategy 
        with the end goal of reduced fragility and violence in fragile 
        and violence-affected states.
            (9) Lessons learned over the past 20 years, documented by 
        the 2013 Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction 
        Lessons Learned Study, the 2016 Fragility Study Group Report, 
        and the 2018 Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Lessons 
        Learned Study on Stabilization show that effective, sustained 
        United States efforts to reduce violence and stabilize fragile 
        and violence-affected states require clearly defined goals and 
        strategies, adequate long-term funding, rigorous and iterative 
        conflict analysis, coordination across the United States 
        Government, including strong civil-military coordination, and 
        integration with national and subnational partners, including 
        local civil society organizations, local justice systems, and 
        local governance structures.
            (10) The ``Stabilization Assistance Review: A Framework for 
        Maximizing the Effectiveness of U.S. Government Efforts to 
        Stabilize Conflict-Affected Areas'' states, ``The United States 
        has strong national security and economic interests in reducing 
        levels of violence and promoting stability in areas affected by 
        armed conflict, especially to consolidate security gains 
        against ISIS and other non-state armed groups.'' The Review 
        further states, ``Stabilization is an inherently political 
        endeavor that requires aligning U.S. Government efforts--
        diplomatic engagement, foreign assistance, and defense--toward 
        supporting locally legitimate authorities and systems to 
        peaceably manage conflict and prevent violence.''
            (11) United States National Security Strategies over the 
        past 15 years have regularly affirmed that the United States 
        has a national security interest in improving its capacity to 
        prevent, manage, and mitigate violence and violent conflicts in 
        order to mitigate the consequences of armed conflict, including 
        humanitarian disasters, terrorism, organized crime, increased 
        risk of mass atrocities, and reversed development.
            (12) According to the Small Arms Survey, the extent to 
        which the international community will be able to bring down 
        global levels of violence will depend largely on the actions 
        taken by states to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, 
        which will require more tangible commitments to improve 
        governance, promote inclusive development, and protect human 
        rights, among other things.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It shall be the policy of the United States--
            (1) to ensure that all relevant United States Government 
        departments and agencies coordinate to achieve coherent, long-
        term goals for programs designed to reduce and address the 
        causes of violence, instability, and fragility in fragile and 
        violence-affected states, including when implementing the 
        Global Fragility and Violence Reduction Initiative developed 
        under section 4;
            (2) to improve the global, regional, and local coordination 
        of relevant international and multilateral development and 
        donor organizations on efforts to reduce and address the causes 
        of violence, instability, and fragility in fragile and 
        violence-affected states;
            (3) to increase support for foreign assistance programs and 
        activities that reduce and address the causes of violence, 
        instability, and fragility, including programs intended to 
        improve the indicators described in section 4(f);
            (4) to increase United States support for the research and 
        development of effective approaches to reduce and address the 
        causes of violence, instability, and fragility; and
            (5) to improve the monitoring, evaluation, learning, and 
        adaptation tools and authorities for relevant United States 
        Government departments and agencies working to reduce and 
        address the causes of violence, instability, and fragility.

SEC. 4. GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO REDUCE GLOBAL FRAGILITY AND VIOLENCE.

    (a) Initiative.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development, in coordination 
with the Secretary of Defense and the heads of other relevant Federal 
departments and agencies, shall develop and submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a 10-year interagency initiative to be 
referred to as the ``Global Initiative to Reduce Fragility and 
Violence'', relating to reducing and addressing the causes of violence, 
instability, and fragility in no less than six priority countries.
    (b) Agency and Department Roles and Responsibilities.--With respect 
to the Global Initiative to Reduce Fragility and Violence required 
under subsection (a)--
            (1) the Department of State shall be the overall lead for 
        establishing United States foreign policy and advancing 
        diplomatic and political efforts;
            (2) the United States Agency for International Development 
        shall be the lead implementing agency for non-security 
        programs;
            (3) the Department of Defense shall support the activities 
        of the Department of State and the United States Agency for 
        International Development as appropriate, including by 
        providing requisite security and reinforcing civilian efforts 
        with the concurrence of the Secretary of State and 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development; and
            (4) other Federal agencies and departments shall support 
        the activities of the Department of State and United States 
        Agency for International Development as appropriate, with the 
        concurrence of the Secretary of State and the Administrator of 
        the United States Agency for International Development.
    (c) Initiative Elements.--The initiative required under subsection 
(a) shall include 10-year plans of action for United States Government 
activities in each of the priority countries designated pursuant to 
subsection (c), including development, security, and other assistance 
activities that are relevant to reducing and addressing the causes of 
violence, instability, and fragility, including the following 
activities:
            (1) Interagency plans for implementation that include 
        processes for coordination among and within relevant Federal 
        departments and agencies.
            (2) Interagency assessments of the risk factors for 
        violence, instability, and fragility, as well as sources of 
        resilience.
            (3) Interagency plans to ensure country ownership and the 
        inclusion of appropriate local actors, including governance and 
        civil society entities and organizations led by women, youth, 
        and underrepresented communities, in developing, implementing, 
        monitoring, evaluating, and updating relevant aspects of each 
        priority country plan.
            (4) Clear, transparent, and measurable political, 
        diplomatic, security, and developmental benchmarks, timetables, 
        and performance metrics for each priority country, with a focus 
        on outcome metrics, including metrics that capture grievances 
        and patterns that cause violence and, where applicable, align 
        with best practice indicators determined by Sustainable 
        Development Goal #16 and the OECD Development Assistance 
        Committee's Fragility Framework.
            (5) Interagency plans for monitoring and evaluation, 
        adaptive management, and iterative learning that provide for 
        regular and iterative policy and program adaptations based on 
        monitoring and evaluation findings and other evidence generated 
        in each priority country and across priority countries.
            (6) Descriptions of the available policy tools to reduce 
        and address the causes of violence, instability, and fragility 
        in each priority country.
            (7) Descriptions of the resources and authorities that 
        would be required for each relevant Federal department and 
        agency to best implement each priority country plan, as well as 
        evidence-based iterative updates to the plans.
            (8) Descriptions of potential areas of improved partnership 
        between the United States Government and recipient countries, 
        international development organizations, relevant international 
        donors, multilateral organizations, and the private sector on 
        efforts to reduce and address the causes of violence, 
        instability, and fragility in each priority country.
            (9) Descriptions of potential areas of improved public and 
        private sector research and development, including from 
        academic, philanthropic, and civil society organizations, on 
        more effective approaches to reducing and addressing the causes 
        of violence, instability, and fragility in fragile and 
        violence-affected states.
    (d) Priority Country Designation.--The Secretary of State and the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall carry 
out the following actions:
            (1) Develop the list of candidate countries under 
        consideration for the initiative required under this section on 
        the basis of specified criteria, including the following:
                    (A) Current levels of violence, instability, and 
                fragility, as determined by empirical data, such as the 
                following, to the extent such data are available:
                            (i) Total levels of deaths due to violence 
                        and violence-related deaths per 100,000 
                        population in the candidate country under 
                        consideration.
                            (ii) Total levels of violent injuries or 
                        violence exposure levels and violent injuries 
                        or violence exposure levels per 100,000 
                        population in such country.
                            (iii) Levels of persons forcibly displaced, 
                        whether internally or internationally, due to 
                        violence or violent conflict in such country.
                            (iv) Total levels of gender-based violence 
                        and violence against children and youth in such 
                        country.
                            (v) Prevalence of physical or sexual 
                        violence in the last 12 months in such country.
                            (vi) Levels of mortality due to armed group 
                        violence in such country.
                            (vii) Levels of citizen support for armed 
                        groups in such country.
                            (viii) The country's ranking on select 
                        global fragility lists and select good 
                        governance indexes.
                            (ix) The country's ranking on select United 
                        States Government conflict and atrocity early 
                        warning watch lists.
                            (x) The country's vulnerability to current 
                        or future transnational threats.
                    (B) An assessment of the potential for United 
                States Government activities to reduce and address the 
                causes of violence, instability, and fragility in each 
                candidate country under consideration, including the 
                willingness and capability of relevant entities within 
                each such country to participate in the Global 
                Initiative to Reduce Fragility and Violence.
            (2) Organize the candidate countries under consideration 
        into the categories of ``Core Country'' and ``Prevention 
        Country'', such that--
                    (A) a candidate country shall be a Core Country for 
                purposes of country selection where current levels of 
                violence, instability, and fragility are highest in the 
                world, as determined by the data specified in paragraph 
                (1); and
                    (B) a candidate country shall be a Prevention 
                Country for purposes of country selection where current 
                levels of violence, instability, and fragility are 
                lower, as determined by the data specified in paragraph 
                (1), but warning signs for future violence, 
                instability, and fragility are significant and 
                strategic prevention efforts are likely to make a 
                meaningful difference in mitigating or preventing 
                future violence, instability, and fragility.
            (3) Designate, on the basis of the criteria specified in 
        paragraph (1), not less than six priority countries, organized 
        with not fewer than three countries in each of the Core and 
        Prevention categories described in paragraph (2) and not more 
        than three countries in each geographic region, as defined by 
        the Department of State.
            (4) Consider, when making designations pursuant to 
        paragraph (3), designating multiple countries in the same 
        region if the drivers of violence, instability, and fragility 
        are transnational in that region.
    (e) Stakeholder Consultation.--In addition to the individuals 
specified in subsection (a), the initiative required under this section 
shall be developed in coordination with--
            (1) the United States Ambassador, the United States Agency 
        for International Development Mission Director, the relevant 
        Department of Defense Combatant Commander, and relevant 
        interagency country teams in each applicable country; and
            (2) representatives of local civil society, national and 
        local governance entities, international development 
        organizations, relevant international donors, multilateral 
        organizations, and relevant private, academic, and 
        philanthropic entities, as appropriate.
    (f) Congressional Consultation.--The Secretary of State, the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, and the Secretary of Defense (or their respective 
designees), shall provide briefings to the appropriate congressional 
committees not later than--
            (1) 45 days after the date of the enactment of this Act 
        regarding the countries selected as priority countries for the 
        initiative required under this section;
            (2) 90 days after such date of enactment regarding progress 
        on the individual priority country plans for the initiative; 
        and
            (3) 30 days after submission of the initiative regarding 
        the implementation plans for the initiative.
    (g) Measuring Violence, Instability, and Fragility.--For the 
purposes of implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the effectiveness 
of the individual country plans required under subsection (a), progress 
towards reducing and addressing the causes of violence, instability, 
and fragility shall be measured by indicators established for each 
priority country by relevant interagency country teams, through 
consultations with the stakeholders specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) 
of subsection (d). The indicators shall be based on the data described 
in subsection (c)(1)(A), as appropriate, and updated regularly to 
account for any improvements in the available indicators and to include 
indicators for additional priority areas, such as--
            (1) improving inclusive, transparent, and accountable power 
        structures, including effective, legitimate, and resilient 
        national and subnational institutions;
            (2) improving effective and respected conflict prevention, 
        mitigation, management, and resolution mechanisms;
            (3) reducing levels of citizen support for violent 
        extremism and adversarial armed groups;
            (4) ensuring strong foundations for political and economic 
        inclusion, reconciliation, and other measures of democracy and 
        governance, including plurality, nondiscrimination, human 
        rights, rule of law, and equal access to justice;
            (5) addressing political, social, economic, and 
        environmental vulnerabilities, grievances, and conflicts;
            (6) ensuring inclusive economic development and sound 
        business environments; and
            (7) improving resilience to transnational stresses and 
        shocks, including from organized crime and violent extremist 
        organizations.

SEC. 5. IMPLEMENTATION AND UPDATES OF PRIORITY COUNTRY PLANS.

    The Secretary of State, the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development, the Secretary of Defense, and the 
heads of other relevant Federal agencies and departments, along with 
relevant United States Ambassadors, United States Agency for 
International Development Mission Directors, Department of Defense 
Combatant Commanders, and other relevant individuals with 
responsibility over activities in each priority country designated 
pursuant to section 4 shall ensure that--
            (1) the Global Initiative to Reduce Fragility and Violence 
        and individual priority country plans required under section 4 
        are implemented in each priority country designated pursuant to 
        such section;
            (2) the initiative and individual priority country plans 
        are used to guide United States policy at a senior level and 
        incorporated into relevant strategies and plans across the 
        United States Government and in each priority country;
            (3) resources for all relevant activities in each priority 
        country are requested and utilized consistent with the 
        initiative and individual priority country plans; and
            (4) the results of program monitoring and evaluation under 
        the initiative and individual priority country plans are 
        regularly reviewed and utilized to determine continuation, 
        modification, or termination of future year programming, and 
        regular and iterative policy and program adaptations are made 
        to each plan.

SEC. 6. BIENNIAL REPORTS AND CONGRESSIONAL CONSULTATION.

    (a) Biennial Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than two years after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and every two years thereafter until 
        full implementation of the 10-year individual country plans 
        required under section 4, the Secretary of State, the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other 
        relevant Federal agencies and departments shall jointly submit 
        to the appropriate congressional committees a report on 
        progress made and lessons learned with respect to the Global 
        Initiative to Reduce Fragility and Violence and each individual 
        country plan required under section 4.
            (2) Elements.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
        shall include the following elements:
                    (A) Descriptions of steps taken to incorporate the 
                initiative and individual country plans into relevant 
                strategies and plans.
                    (B) Detailed accountings of all funding received 
                and obligated to implement each individual country plan 
                during the past two years, as well as funding 
                requested, planned, and projected for the following two 
                years.
                    (C) Descriptions of progress made towards the goals 
                and objectives established for each individual country, 
                including progress towards achieving the specific 
                targets, metrics, and indicators described in section 
                4.
                    (D) Descriptions of changes made to programs based 
                on the results of monitoring and evaluation in 
                accordance with sections 4 and 5.
    (b) Congressional Consultation.--The Secretary of State, the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other relevant 
Federal agencies and departments (or their respective designees) shall 
jointly consult with the appropriate congressional committees not less 
often than annually regarding progress made on the initiative and 
individual priority country plans required under section 4. The 
consultation requirement under this subsection shall terminate upon 
full implementation of the 10-year individual priority country plans 
required under such section.

SEC. 7. ASSISTANCE FOR THE GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO REDUCE FRAGILITY AND 
              VIOLENCE.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
including minimum funding requirements for funding directives, funds 
made available in any prior or future Act making appropriations for the 
Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for 
priority countries designated under this Act may be made available to 
support the Global Initiative to Reduce Fragility and Violence and 
individual priority country plans described in this Act.
    (b) Consultation and Notification.--Any exercise of the authority 
under subsection (a) shall be subject to prior consultation with, and 
the regular notification procedures of, the appropriate congressional 
committees.

SEC. 8. GAO REVIEW.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 5 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall conduct an independent review of all United States assistance 
activities in each priority country designated pursuant to section 4.
    (b) Matters To Be Included.--The review required under subsection 
(a) shall include--
            (1) an assessment of the extent to which United States 
        Government activities in each priority country designated 
        pursuant to section 4 are being implemented in accordance with 
        the relevant individual country plan required under such 
        section;
            (2) descriptions of the United States Government assistance 
        activities that are being implemented in accordance with each 
        individual priority country plan, including the role of each 
        relevant Federal department or agency in each activity, the 
        entities responsible for implementing each activity, and the 
        funding level for each activity;
            (3) assessments of the processes and procedures for 
        coordinating among and within each relevant United States 
        Government department and agency when implementing each 
        individual priority country plan;
            (4) assessments of the monitoring and evaluation efforts 
        under each individual priority country plan, including 
        assessments of the progress made and lessons learned with 
        respect to each such plan, as well as any changes made to 
        activities based on the results of such monitoring and 
        evaluation; and
            (5) recommendations for changes necessary to better 
        implement United States Government assistance activities in 
        accordance with individual priority country plans, as well as 
        recommendations for any changes to such plans.

SEC. 9. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 
        Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
        Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 
        Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
        House of Representatives.
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