The inclusion of a peace and justice goal in the High-Level Panel’s post-2015 report is a welcome acknowledgement of the negative impact of insecurity and injustice on development progress. However, in developing this goal and its targets and indicators further, it is important to consult the evidence on what we know about the relationships between insecurity, peace, and development.

There is stronger evidence demonstrating correlations between insecurity and underdevelopment than between peace and development. While a ‘positive peace’ approach to conflict and violence can be argued for in the post-2015 framework as an intrinsic good, this should not be on the basis of an instrumental relationship with development.