12 July 2019: Transparency International (TI) has suggested that SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) should be reviewed every year. To date, only one of the SDGs, Goal 17 on partnerships, is reviewed annually at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The organization also calls on the UN to set “concrete, advanced indicators” to measure progress on SDG 16.

SDG target 16.4 addresses illicit financial flows, while target 16.5 pledges to reduce corruption and bribery “in all their forms,” and target 16.6 seeks to develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.

TI argues that fighting corruption is essential to eradicating poverty (SDG 1), ending hunger (SDG 2), ensuring access to health (SDG 3), education (SDG 4) and clean water (SDG 6), protecting marine environments (SDG 14) and taking climate action (SDG 13). The organization cites UN figures indicating that corruption, bribery, tax evasion and illicit financial flows cost developing countries around USD 1.26 trillion a year. In the area of taxation alone, TI highlights International Monetary Fund (IMF) statistics that show corruption reduces global tax revenues by USD 1 trillion every year.

TI is a global movement against corruption, with an international secretariat in Berlin, Germany, and chapters in more than 100 countries. In a press release, Delia Ferreira Rubio, TI Chair, underlines that citizens must be able to hold governments to account over delivery of essential services.

To promote consideration of its proposal, TI organized a side event on 12 July 2019 in New York, US, in conjunction with the HLPF, on the theme of ‘Multi-stakeholder perspectives on the implementation of SDG 16.’ [TI Information Page]