The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs manages the Global Security Contingency Fund (GSCF). A joint program with the U.S. Department of Defense, GSCF is an effective and flexible tool to address urgent security challenges and seize emerging opportunities that further U.S. foreign policy and national security interests by strengthening our partners’ capabilities to conduct border and maritime security, internal defense, counterterrorism, and other authorized operations.
About GSCF
GSCF is a unique authority established in the FY 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). It provides the Secretaries of State and Defense with a flexible tool to pool funding and expertise across agencies to help advance the U.S. government’s overall strategic objectives and meet security challenges that arise outside of the regular budget cycles.
GSCF’s broad authority allows for tailored and integrated assistance programs coordinated through interagency planning to support security capacity building for U.S. Allies and partner nations. GSCF provides train and equip assistance to enhance the capabilities of partner country military forces and other national-level security forces to conduct border and maritime security, internal defense, and counterterrorism operations, as well as to participate in or support military, stability, or peace support operations consistent with U.S. foreign policy and national security interests.
GSCF Objectives
GSCF has invested $232 million in fourteen countries, from the Lake Chad Basin to the Philippines to Eastern Europe, to accomplish the following key objectives:
* Expand U.S. flexibility to address emerging security challenges and seize diplomatic opportunities: GSCF complements other State and DoD security cooperation authorities by enabling the Departments to address emerging policy priorities outside of the regular budget cycle. The authority enables State and DoD to pool funding and increase joint planning and partnership to achieve the greatest impact for high-priority policy initiatives.
* Build partner capacity to meet shared security challenges: GSCF strengthens the capabilities of U.S. allies and partners to effectively manage and confront challenges from regional aggressors, and transnational terrorist and criminal organizations. GSCF efforts have helped enable partner nations to deploy forces or resources beyond their borders in support of international coalitions and multilateral peacekeeping efforts.
* Develop strong, independent, U.S. security partners: GSCF efforts help build self-sustaining, modern, and professional security institutions, thereby reducing the need for assistance over time and increasing the ability of partners to share the burden of security costs.
GSCF Accomplishments
Ukraine
In 2014, GSCF enabled the National Guard of Ukraine, a newly created force with the authority to conduct domestic operations, to support Ukraine’s response to counter Russian-led forces’ aggression in eastern Ukraine. GSCF built upon initial success by funding a second project in 2016 to create a qualification course for Ukraine special operations forces, train Ukrainian military medical personnel, support validation exercises for security force personnel deploying to areas of conflict within Ukraine, and institute non-commissioned officer training.
The Philippines
From 2013-2018, GSCF support to the Philippines’ security forces significantly improved their maritime security and counterterrorism abilities across multiple agencies in an effort to combat crime and terrorism across the country and assist the Philippines with protecting its interests in the maritime domain. As a result of this project, the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group Coast Guard and other security force personnel reported increased sustainment capacity, maritime domain awareness, and law enforcement capabilities, allowing security forces to jointly address a wide variety of security challenges, including smuggling, terrorism, and security issues in the South China Sea.
Hungary, Romania, Slovakia
From 2013-2017, GSCF investments strengthened special operations forces in Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia to increase overall NATO interoperability and further the alliance’s efforts to deter Russian aggression. GSCF provided communication equipment and training to enhance the capabilities of these special operations forces to conduct reconnaissance, internal defense, and other missions. Additionally, GSCF investments developed these countries’ special operations forces ability to conduct out-of-area operations with deployable Special Operation Task Groups in support of NATO and contingency operations.
Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon
From 2014-2018, GSCF assisted national-level security forces in Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to develop institutional and tactical capabilities enhancing joint efforts to address security on shared borders and increase cross-border cooperation to counter Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa. Security forces across the region report increased tactical and operational proficiency because of this assistance, as well as newly established interagency and multinational communications that they have successfully employed to secure their borders. As a result, the Lake Chad Basin nations now conduct multinational and interagency cross-border missions, severely limiting Boko Haram’s operational capacity.
For additional information, please contact the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs’ Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at pm-cpa@state.gov and follow us on Twitter @StateDeptPM.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
