On 12 January 2026, Principles for Peace Foundation (P4P) Executive Director Hiba Qasas spoke at the UN Security Council Arria-formula meeting “Advancing New Paradigms for Peacebuilding.” She highlighted the urgent need to translate agreements into durable peace, emphasizing legitimacy, accountable security, and dignity. Bert Koenders, P4P Advisory Group Chair, also spoke, sharing insights from his extensive experience in global diplomacy. 

Convened by the President of the UN Security Council, Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman (Permanent Representative of Somalia), with remarks from Ambassador Ricklef Johannes Beutin (Permanent Representative of Germany), the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), the meeting brought together UN Member States, permanent observers, and peacebuilding practitioners to discuss experience-centered approaches. Against a backdrop of protracted conflicts and weakening trust in institutions, the session explored practical ways to embed inclusion, accountability, and societal engagement into peace processes. 

In her remarks, Hiba Qasas underscored the critical shift in global peacebuilding: the challenge is no longer only reaching ceasefires or agreements, but ensuring their implementation and durability. 

 She emphasized three core Principles for Peace – legitimacy, accountable security, and dignity—as essential to translating agreements into real-world stability and trust. Drawing on evidence from over 60 countries, Hiba highlighted recurring failures in implementation, from fragile ceasefires to governance frameworks lacking societal legitimacy. 

Hiba presented practical solutions offered by P4P, including: 

• Common standards and a shared framework for mediators and policymakers; 

• Analytics and stress testing, through tools like the AI-powered Peace Navigator; 

• Political dialogue infrastructure, sustaining high-trust coalitions to ensure commitments are translated into action. 

She also showcased P4P’s regional initiatives, such as Uniting for a Shared Future, the largest coalition of pragmatic Israeli and Palestinian leaders advancing political solutions, and highlighted how the Principlesand methodologies have been applied in Somalia and the Philippines. 

Hiba concluded by stressing that frameworks are plentiful, but disciplined implementation is scarce – a gap that P4P aims to fill to ensure peace agreements withstand pressure and deliver tangible results. 

Bert Koenders, Advisory Group Chair of P4P and former Dutch Foreign Minister, shared perspectives on multilateral coordination, lessons from global peace processes, and the importance of coalition-building for durable peace.