A UN committee on governance and public institutions held its annual session, developing input for the upcoming session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The session included dedicated discussions on SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and applying governance principles at the sub-national level for effective sustainable development.

The 21st session of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) took place from 4-8 April 2022 both in person and virtually. The discussions highlighted that to build forward from the COVID-19 pandemic and advance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, governments should strengthen their public institutions at all levels, including subnational, and their social, physical, and technological infrastructure, while better preparing their economies to manage future shocks. This can be best done by countries working together, according to the Committee.

CEPA calls for attention to the growing role of unregulated social media in undermining democratic institutions.

The Committee offered more specific recommendations in several areas, including:

• To pursue climate change mitigation and adaptation, governments could reform their institutional structures, cultures, and capacities. Barriers to achieving SDGs 13 (climate action), 14 (life below water), and 15  (life on land) include the fragmentation of responsibility for combating climate change and for the sustainable management, protection, and restoration of natural resources. Governments could address this by simplifying regulatory frameworks and establishing or strengthening mechanisms for policy coherence, such as ecosystem management and territorial development approaches.
• Digitalizing government and societal functions can help to “leapfrog development,” improve public service delivery, combat corruption, reduce inequalities, and improve state-citizen relations, as long as processes are managed in a fair, ethical, and people-centered manner. The digital transition is “perhaps the biggest transformative variable on the way development choices and pathways can be rethought.” Digitalization of the public sector requires resources, talents, and infrastructure to account for each country’s needs and enable meaningful participation of stakeholders in public policymaking. The Committee adds that the growing role of unregulated social media in undermining democratic institutions calls for attention.
• Investing in the public sector workforce would help prepare countries to meet the challenges that lie ahead. The Committee calls for institution building to be complemented by investment in data infrastructure and competencies of the public sector workforce to foster implementation of the SDGs. Related competences should include upgrading technical skills needed for climate change policies, and awareness of the SDGs.

The Committee held a dialogue on the institutional aspects of SDG 16 with countries conducting a voluntary national review (VNR) of their SDG progress to present during the 2022 HLPF, as well as cities conducting voluntary local reviews (VLRs), including Mexico City, Mexico, and Shah Alam, Malaysia. Participants agreed on the potential merits of a peer exchange platform on institutional aspects of SDG 16, that would be led by CEPA.

Also putting SDG 16 in the spotlight, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), and the Government of Italy held their annual ‘SDG 16 Conference’ from 21-22 April 2022. The organizers note that SDG 16, while not one of the Goals being reviewed in-depth at the 2022 HLPF, “remains an essential enabler” for at least two of the in-depth review Goals – SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 5 (gender equality). [DESA landing page for CEPA 21] [Webpage for SDG 16 conference] [CEPA input to 2022 HLPF]