2024 PPWG Assessment of USG Atrocity Prevention Efforts
Photo by Emad El Byed on Unsplash
Published October 11, 2024
Executive Summary
The Prevention and Protection Working Group (PPWG) at the Alliance for Peacebuilding convened extensive consultations to compose the following assessment of and recommendations for the report to Congress of the U.S. Government’s (USG) atrocity anticipation, prevention, and response activities in 2023-2024, as required by Section 5 of the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act (EWGAPA). This assessment also addresses the implementation of the 2022 United States Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent, and Respond to Atrocities (SAPRA) and the use of the 2021 Atrocity Risk Assessment Framework (ARAF). The purpose of this assessment is to assist the USG in strengthening its reporting and improving the efficacy of anticipating, preventing, and responding to atrocities by identifying and analyzing trends, gaps, and opportunities to enhance measurement and demonstrate impact.
PPWG welcomes the USG’s more comprehensive and coordinated approach to atrocity prevention, as demonstrated throughout the 2024 report on the EWGAPA. PPWG also applauds the diligent work of the Atrocity Prevention Task Force (APTF) to institutionalize atrocity prevention across the government, especially with limited resources. PPWG commends the inclusion of the new section of the report, “Integration of Atrocity Prevention in U.S. Strategies,” which recognizes the necessity of integrating and aligning atrocity prevention with the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability (SPCPS), the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), and other key policies and strategies.
Recognizing the sensitivities surrounding the USG’s efforts to anticipate, prevent, and respond to atrocities, the USG must also assess the extent to which the APTF, the SAPRA, and atrocity prevention tools are influencing wider foreign policy decision-making processes and policies, and those of multilateral, regional, and bilateral partners. Future annual reports should delineate work tied to anticipation, prevention, and response in line with the SAPRA to improve the ability of both Congress and civil society to sufficiently understand and assess their scope and sustainability. Increased analysis in the report related to the outcomes of diplomatic, policy, and programmatic interventions can further support civil society’s advocacy with Congress for robust resources to ensure the successful implementation of SAPRA.
Topline Recommendations
Identify At-Risk Countries and Constraints: Publish a public list of countries at-risk of experiencing atrocities, provide updates on how the USG is working to prevent atrocities therein, and acknowledge shortcomings, challenges, and constraints to inform Congress’ understanding of the resources needed to overcome them.
Discuss Progress Made in Addressing Priorities Outlined in Previous Reports: Explicitly address the ways in which the USG made progress on the recommendations and priorities identified in previous years’ reports.
Demonstrate Senior-Level Engagement on the Implementation of the SAPRA: Provide an overview of how the leaders at the White House and within the APFT agencies engage on atrocity prevention and response globally and their impacts.
Assess Interagency Coordination and Influence: Assess how the APTF’s work influences USG activities and resources, as well as evidence of the upward impact of the APTF and the SAPRA across the government.
Establish a Strategic Monitoring, Evaluating and Learning Framework: Create a strategic MEL framework for the SAPRA, in consultation with civil society, to measure outcomes and determine the efficacy of USG atrocity anticipation, prevention, and response efforts over time.
Elevate the Localization Agenda and Coordination with Civil Society: Prioritize localizing atrocity prevention activities to strengthen early warning/early response and prevention activities.