Policy and advocacy

Our advocacy efforts are driven by the communities we partner with around the world, like Ana and her nephew Juan in Acul, Guatemala.

At Mercy Corps, we promote public policies that alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. As an organization working in over 40 countries, we know that we have a unique role to play in amplifying the voices of communities around the world.

Mercy Corps’ Policy and Advocacy team leads our agency’s work to support policy and regulatory reforms, promote best practices, and protect foreign assistance resources. We engage with policymakers, the world’s largest foreign aid donors, at the United Nations, and in the countries where we operate.

We rely on your voice, too. With your help, we can ensure that everyone is aware of these critical issues, from your friends to your federal representatives. Join us in advocating for a better world.

Case study:

The Global Fragility Act

For too long we’ve treated the symptoms of violence and not the causes. The Global Fragility Act will change that.

In December 2019, Congress adopted the historic bipartisan Global Fragility Act, creating the first-ever U.S. government strategy to tackle alarming levels of global violence around the world. That violence is causing unimaginable suffering and instability with almost 70 million people around the world on the run.

Mercy Corps helped develop the Global Fragility Act and partnered with the Alliance for Peacebuilding to lead a coalition of nearly 70 organizations in support of the legislation. Mercy Corps’ community of humanitarians joined the effort by contacting their representatives to share their support for the act.

Our teams — working in the most fragile countries around the world — witness firsthand every day how investments to prevent and mitigate violence are far more effective than reacting to its consequences. Learn more about what the Global Fragility Act accomplishes.

Members of the Conflict Resolution and Prevention Committee discuss monthly results at their office in Katana, Democratic Republic of Congo. Members of the committee are supported by Mercy Corps and a local partner. Since January 2018, they have resolved 18 disputes in the community regarding land, family, and breaches of trust.

Policy briefs and resources

COVID-19 and conflict

Our research shows the COVID-19 pandemic and response measures are exacerbating underlying drivers of conflict in Afghanistan, Colombia, and Nigeria.

Testifying on Syria’s humanitarian crisis

Arnaud Quemin, Mercy Corps Syria Country Director, testifies before the U.S. House of Representatives Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

Migration and aid to Central America

Our research finds that foreign assistance programs are alleviating violence and increasing economic opportunity.

The Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance

We advocate for policies and funding to help communities better prepare for and respond to devastating floods.

U.S. foreign aid and climate change

Our recommendations on how to ensure that foreign assistance helps the most vulnerable adapt to the changing climate.

Community engagement in COVID-19 vaccine roll-out

Our programs and research show how community engagement is key to overcoming mistrust, and ending the COVID-19 pandemic.

Take a stand and sign our petitions.