The UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and partners have issued the second Global Progress Report on SDG 16 Indicators. The report reveals that unless reversed, negative trends on peace, justice, and strong institutions could put all the SDGs at risk, “leaving an increasing number of people behind.”

Themed, ‘At the Crossroads: Breakdown or Breakthrough for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions,’ the report highlights a 72% increase in conflict-related civilian deaths in 2023 compared to 2022. Violent crime is on the rise, organized crime increasingly threatens peace and development, discrimination is widespread, corruption is pervasive, governance is not inclusive, and people are not able to access justice, its findings reveal.

The report further shows that, inter alia:

• Governments are failing to make the world safer, with public perceptions of safety having stagnated and the global homicide rate having decreased a mere 5% from 2015-2022.
• Disappearances and journalist deaths in conflict-affected countries are on the rise.
• The number of detected trafficking victims increased in 2022, with two in every five detected victims globally being children, but stronger detection has been instrumental in the fight against human trafficking.
• Discrimination is slowing progress on sustainable development, with one in six individuals globally having encountered discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status within the past 12 months. According to the report, persons with disabilities face discrimination almost twice as frequently as those without disabilities.

While data suggest that global efforts aimed at promoting transparent governance and combating corruption “are beginning to bear fruit,” progress has been slow. For example, the report documents only a 1.3% decline in bribery rates in the population over the course of 13 years, from an average of 18.3% in 2010 to 17% in 2023.

Progress in achieving representative and inclusive institutions has been similarly slow, with representation and inclusiveness of women within public service institutions remaining a challenge in many countries across the world, especially in low-income countries (LICs).

The report was released on 17 July in New York, US, where the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) carried out in-depth review of five Goals, including SDG 16. The other four were SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals). [Publication: Global Progress Report on SDG 16 Indicators: At the Crossroads: Breakdown or Breakthrough for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions] [Publication Landing Page] [UNDP Press Release] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on First Global Progress Report on SDG 16 Indicators]