Legitimacy at the Heart of Peace:
P4P Launches Flagship Report and Previews AI-Powered Peace Navigator

During Geneva Peace Week (GPW), Principles for Peace (P4P) unveiled its 2025 flagship report, “Legitimacy in a Fragmenting World,” at a high-level reception hosted by the Danish Permanent Mission to the United Nations. The report places legitimacy at the center of peacebuilding and offers actionable guidance for decision-makers. Alongside the report launch, P4P previewed its forthcoming Peace Navigator, an AI-powered platform designed to turn data into adaptive strategies. Together, the report and the tool make a compelling case for legitimacy-based peacebuilding and governance, providing not only the why but also the how.

The launch brought together diplomats, multilateral actors, peacebuilders, and civil society leaders to confront a stark reality: the world faces an accelerating legitimacy crisis. g7+ Secretary-General Dr. Helder da Costa and Danish Ambassador Ib Petersen joined P4P Executive Director Hiba Qasas in stressing the urgency of action, as sobering data from the report set the tone:

71% of the global population now lives under autocratic rule, up from 48% just a decade ago. Freedom of speech, press, and assembly has declined in over three-quarters of countries since 2016. Public trust is eroding, and multilateral institutions are under unprecedented strain. These conditions are actively fueling instability and violent conflict around the globe.

Against this backdrop, the report argues that legitimacy – defined as the inclusive, accountable, and effective exercise of power – is not a peripheral concern but a prerequisite for sustainable peace.
Drawing on 19 case studies and trend data from 56 countries, the report introduces a practical framework for rethinking peace and security through the lens of legitimacy. It demonstrates how security responses, mediation approaches, governance reforms, and multilateral engagement can either strengthen or undermine legitimacy. The report distills these lessons into clear, actionable recommendations for policymakers, funders, and practitioners across the peace & security field.

Read the report here.

The report’s findings are reinforced by data from the Peace Navigator, P4P’s AI-powered platform developed with the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). Previewed during GPW, the Navigator will launch publicly in the coming weeks.

The tool translates the Eight Principles for Peace into 40 rigorously validated indicators. It combines data from trusted sources such as Gallup, V-Dem, Freedom House, and the World Bank with AI-driven analysis of more than 50,000 webpages and 29,000 documents from 56 fragile and conflict-affected countries over 21 years. This integration provides timely situational awareness, tracks legitimacy trends, and supports early warning and course correction.

In a hands-on workshop, participants tested the platform through country simulations for Afghanistan, Colombia, Myanmar, Somalia, and Yemen. They explored how the Navigator turns fragmented data into actionable insights, helping peace actors design strategies that are adaptive and grounded in evidence.

More than a dashboard, the Peace Navigator is a decision-support system that closes the gap between information and action, enabling principled and responsive peacebuilding.

The Peace Navigator goes live soon. Stay tuned!