This research report seeks to analyse how the leading Kurdish party in Syria - the Democratic Union's Party (PYD), through the Rojava project is attempting to expand its governance structures to consolidate power and create legitimacy for itself. The paper starts by explaining the institutional infrastructure of the Rojava governance project and its rise. The following sections cover the factors and institutional mechanisms that help the PYD legitimize itself at the local and international levels. These factors include the provision of security; the effectiveness in the provision of public services; and public diplomacy and image management. As trust and representation remain the missing links to ensuring local legitimacy, the concluding section further discusses these aspects and assesses the prospects for Rojava to bridge its shortcomings.
