June 2019: A background note for the review of SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) identifies the Goal as a “universal challenge” requiring action for implementation and follow-up in both developed and developing countries. The authors underscore the importance of a whole-of-society approach to achieve SDG 16. The note was issued in advance of the July 2019 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which will hold an in-depth review of several SDGs.

The background note states that the Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on SDG 16 identified it as a Goal that is “both an outcome and an enabler of sustainable development” and closely interlinked with other SDGs. Without SDG 16, the note states, achieving the Goals on ending poverty (SDG 1), ensuring education (SDG 4) or promoting economic growth (SDG 8) can be difficult or impossible. Further, climate change (SDG 13) can act as a threat multiplier, exacerbating environmental, political and social stressors, conditions that the note states can lead to violence.

The note identifies capacity needs and gaps as “a critical barrier to meaningful SDG 16 implementation and follow-up,” noting that countries that are least developed, fragile and transitioning out of conflict or post-conflict are most likely to experience capacity issues. The note finds that advances to end violence, promote the rule of law, strengthen institutions and increase access to justice “are uneven” throughout the world. The note presents evidence on a number of indicators associated with SDG 16 targets in support of this argument:

• Freedom of information: Although 125 countries have adopted binding laws and policies that give individuals a right to access information held by public authorities, 40 countries (out of 123 with available information) lack a proper right to appeal to an independent administrative body;
• Legal identity: 46% of children had their births registered in sub-Saharan Africa compared to 73% of children globally; and
• National Institutions: Only 39% of all countries had a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) compliant with internationally agreed standards in 2018.

The note shares additional statistics on: violence against children; homicides, with a global increase driven by the homicide rate in Latin America and the Caribbean and some Sub-Saharan African countries; killings of human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists; prisoners in detention; and trafficking in persons, with women representing 70% of victims.

The note proposes five guiding questions for discussion at the HLPF’s review session, which will take place on 12 July 2019. First, the note suggests that the HLPF consider specific policy reforms, local actions and strategies to strengthen resilience of communities and institutions to deliver on SDG 16, including actions related to improving access to basic services, including justice and security and conflict or dispute resolution. It also calls for strengthening social cohesion, dialogue and reconciliation. Second, the note recommends considering how SDG 16 targets can leverage human rights standards, norms and approaches to inform SDG measurement, monitoring and implementation. Additional discussion questions address: interventions and policies to reach the furthest behind, particularly those left behind due to exclusion, injustice and violence; urgent and long-term capacity needs and gaps around SDG 16; and innovative methodologies and partnerships to strengthen national systems to track and report on progress on SDG 16 targets, including tools to strengthen disaggregated data.

The July 2019 session of the HLPF will focus on the theme, ‘Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.’ In addition to SDG 16, the Forum will include reviews of SDGs 4 (quality education), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 10 (reduced inequalities), 13 (climate action) and 17 (partnerships for the Goals). [SDG 16 Background Note]