EXPLORING NEW PATHS

The Principles for Peace initiative emerged in 2019, reacting to the urgency posed by record levels of conflict and the conviction that new approaches are needed to address the various challenges faced by peacemakers in this era. The overall aim is to create greater accountability, coherence, and sustainability of peace processes.

The global, inclusive initiative—to draft the eight principles for peace—brought together a broad coalition of actors across political, diplomatic, academic, defense and security, civil society, and multilateral organisations. It was led by the International Commission on Inclusive Peace and an independent secretariat hosted at Interpeace. (This independent secretariat later became formalised in 2023 as the Principles for Peace Foundation, who we are today!)

CULTIVATING NETWORKS AND STRATEGIES

Between 2019-2022, the initiative engaged thousands of stakeholders in more than 60 countries, involving 150 consultations and analysis of over 700 case studies.

Our approach anchored the initiative in realpolitik and the perspectives of those affected by conflict. We gathered insights from practitioners, policy makers and activists, and distilled hundreds of pieces of research with scholars from across the regions to identify the challenges, limitations and shifts in policy and practice.

SOLIDIFYING THE PRINCIPLES

The outcome of this process produced the eight Principles for Peace, as articulated in the Peacemaking Covenant, and established the Principles for Peace Foundation in 2023 to serve as a catalyst, custodian and curator of these eight Principles, the alliances built around them, and the broader peace and security ecosystem.

From 2023 onward, the Principles for Peace Foundation is charting a path to lasting peace, strengthened by our collective network—the Stakeholder Platform—of 120 Organisations who serve as a sounding board and peer review body who work on and support peace initiatives around the world.