Conflict Prevention and Stabilization

A quarter of the world’s population now lives in conflict-affected areas. Compounding crises such as Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, climate shocks affecting food production, and rising inflation have exacerbated the nexus between conflict, climate, and food insecurity. There is an urgent need for a coordinated development response.

USAID’s Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization (CPS) partners in countries affected by conflict to build the foundations for peace and stability. These investments support U.S. national security interests by breaking the costly cycle of instability brought on by conflict and violence.

• We lead and coordinate USAID’s investments in peacebuilding, addressing state fragility, stabilization, conflict and violence prevention, and political transition.
• We partner with USAID Missions and local counterparts worldwide to provide resources and expertise for conflict prevention and stabilization.
• Addressing complex and overlapping challenges requires the right balance of development, diplomacy, and defense―the three Ds of U.S. foreign policy. To succeed, CPS positions itself alongside the Department of State’s diplomatic efforts and the Department of Defense’s security-driven efforts to implement an integrated approach to conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
• We pursue locally-led solutions to prevent and reduce violent conflict. We engage in US government policy coordination as well as in partnerships with countries to integrate conflict prevention, stabilization, peacebuilding, women, and climate security.
• We prioritize and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workforce to drive better decision making.

What We Do:

We work in more than 60 countries around the world.

• The Office of Civilian-Military Cooperation (CMC) partners with the Department of Defense to foster civilian and military partnerships to address critical global challenges ranging from countering violent extremism and conflict prevention to climate change, food security, and humanitarian assistance.
• The Center for Conflict and Violence Prevention (CVP) provides USAID Missions with technical assistance, analysis, training, and funds to improve development outcomes in countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence.
• The Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) supports U.S. foreign policy by seizing emerging windows of opportunity in the political landscape to promote stability, peace, and democracy by catalyzing local initiatives through adaptive and agile programming.