The Permanent Mission of Italy to the UN, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) convened an annual conference focused on peace, justice, and inclusive societies. Participants reflected on the role of SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) in driving transformation and coordinated action for sustainable development.
The annual SDG 16 Conference took place in New York, US, on 17 June 2026, ahead of the July session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The conference brought together government officials, UN system entities and other international organizations, civil society, youth, and academia to take stock of progress on SDG 16, discuss the transformative impact of peace, justice, and effective institutions, and explore the role of partnerships and collective action in building peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.
In his opening address, President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Lok Bahadur Thapa identified peace, justice, and effective institutions as enablers of sustainable development that create the conditions for opportunity, strengthen trust, and help governments translate commitments into results. He said building institutions that are effective, accountable, and inclusive, requires trust and whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches. Emphasizing trust as the foundation of effective multilateralism, strengthening it “may be one of the most important investments we can make for sustainable development,” Thapa underscored.
In her remarks, UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Annalena Baerbock linked SDG 16 to the UN reform initiative, noting that a more coherent, effective, and representative UN is essential for strengthening its credibility as well as for delivering on peace and security, sustainable development, human rights, and justice.
The Report of the SDG 16 Conference 2026, published in August, highlights ten key messages that came out of the discussions:
- Progress across many of the SDG 16 targets remains slow and uneven, and in some areas is reversing.
- SDG 16 is a critical enabler of all the SDGs and is at the heart of what makes the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development transformative.
- Inclusive, nationally owned, and locally grounded approaches are key to sustaining peace.
- People-centered approaches to justice and the rule of law can be powerful drivers for peace and sustainable development.
- Effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions enable governments to rebuild trust.
- Strengthening integrity and accountability and combating corruption are vital to sustain the social contract.
- Progress on gender equality is essential for SDG 16 and all other SDGs.
- Education is a cornerstone of peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.
- Partnerships and collective action are essential to moving from commitments to implementation.
- Accelerating progress on SDG 16 requires sustained political commitment and adequate financing.
The SDG 16 Conference 2026 built on the outcomes of the previous six editions. It sought to highlight practical examples of how action on SDG 16 delivers tangible results, mobilize action-oriented partnerships, and identify practical pathways through which SDG 16 can accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda and the Pact for the Future. [Publication: Driving Transformation and Coordinated Action for Sustainable Development: Report of the SDG 16 Conference 2026] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on SDG 16 Conference 2025]