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UN Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, justice, and institutionsPeace, justice and strong institutions worldwide

The UN recognises the important role that justice, peace, and strong institutions have in delivering all of the Sustainable Development Goals. Honest and fair governments and legal institutions are essential to protecting and promoting human rights.

Part of GeographySustainability

Peace, justice and strong institutions worldwide

Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations have issued 17 ambitious goals to try and build a better, fairer, and more sustainable future for the world.

Sustainable Development Goal 16 aims to highlight the importance for everyone to have live their lives free of conflict and persecution and to have their rights protected by fair laws.

This goal aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

There are still parts of the world where people are not protected by laws to guarantee their human and civil rights. In these regions, people may not be able to vote in free and fair elections or may face discrimination due to factors such as age, sex, race, or sexual orientation.

Find out about peace, justice and institutions

Globally, justice is threatened by corruption in many places and within institutions also. It's important we strive for inclusive societies where the instituions are run for and by the people they serve.

This UN goal makes several recommendations:

  • End of abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children
  • Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all
  • Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms
  • Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance
  • Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels
  • Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development

Peace, justice and strong institutions – World facts

  • The number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict exceeded 70 million in 2018
  • Corruption, bribery, theft and tax evasion cost some US $1.26 trillion for developing countries per year
  • In 2019, the United Nations tracked 357 killings and 30 enforced disappearances of human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists in 47 countries

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