 Global Integration UpdatesCommon Ground for the Common Good Build the world we need--Be the people we need
Special News--December 2019Peace, Justice, Inclusion
and Strong InstitutionsUpdates on Sustainable Development Goal 16+
Advances in ending violence, promoting the rule of law, strengthening institutions and increasing access to justice are uneven and continue to deprive millions of their security, rights and opportunities and undermine the delivery of public services and broader economic development. Attacks on civil society are also holding back development progress. Renewed efforts are essential to move towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 16. Progress on the SDGs: Report of the Secretary-General, UN (paragraph 37, July 2019)
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In this Update we focus on Sustainable Development Goal 16+ (SDG 16+). SDG16+ includes additional Targets from seven other 17 SDGs and hence provides a broader framework for peace, justice, and inclusive societies. It is seen to be "an enabler and accelerator" for all the SDGs.We feature four recent resources-reports which collectively describe the good news and bad news about progress, and the challenges of measuring progress, on the SDG 16+ and its Targets. They are:
--The SDG Report 2019, United Nations (2019)
--SDG Tracker, Goal 16, Our World in Data (2019)
--Implementation of the 2030 Agenda through SDG 16+, Global Alliance (2019)
--SDG 16+ Progress Report, Institute for Economics and Peace (2019)
We encourage you to look over the summaries in the above materials (we orient you below using blue highlights). And then go deeper as you have time and interest. It is not necessarily exciting reading, yet we think it is essential reading to inform and impact our work across sectors, countries, and SDGs.
We finish with some brief reflections on "fulfilling our political and moral responsibilities" in the efforts to realize the SDGs. This includes prioritizing both social transformation and personal transformation, confronting corruption along with developing integrity, and encouraging faith-based efforts in SDG efforts and vice versa.
See also:
--Peace and Security (resources on our MCA website)
--Integrity and Accountability for UN Staff, UN Special (March 2017, April 2017)
--9 December: International Anti-Corruption Day
--10 December: Human Rights Day
Warm greetings from Geneva,
Kelly and Michèle
--Share your comments and resources on our MCA Facebook page
--Send us your ideas and resources for future GI Updates MCAresources@gmail.com
Featured ResourcesPeace, Justice, Inclusion
and Strong InstitutionsUpdates on Sustainable Development Goal 16+ All we are saying...is give peace a chance
(50 years ago, video/song).
And all we are saying now...
is resolutely promote and responsibly develop
peaceful, just, inclusive societies and strong institutions.
We begin with a short overview of SDG 16. This ambitious, visionary goal has 12 Targets and 23 Indicators which collectively cut across all of the SDGs. The Targets comprise sub-goals and the Indicators comprise the metrics for measuring progress on the sub-goals. Note that SDG 16+ (plus) includes 24 additional Targets from other SDGs (inter-linkages) that directly relate to an aspect of peace, justice and inclusion. It is viewed as "an enabler and an accelerator" for all SDGs.Here are the 12 Targets for SDG 16. For more information see the UN SDG Knowledge Platform.
--Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
--End 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.
--By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organised crime.
--Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms.
--Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
--Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance.
--By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration.
--Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.
--Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.
--Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.
--The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2019, United Nations (2019). See pages 54-55 which cover SDG 16.
"Since its inception in 2015, the 2030 Agenda has provided a blueprint for shared prosperity in a sustainable world—a world where all people can live productive, vibrant and peaceful lives on a healthy planet. The year 2030 is just over a decade away, and we must ask ourselves if our actions today are laying the right foundation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2019 provides evidence-based insights to answer this question….The report demonstrates that progress is being made in some critical areas, and that some favorable trends are evident….Notwithstanding that progress, this report identifies many areas that need urgent collective attention….It is abundantly clear that a much deeper, faster and more ambitious response is needed to unleash the social and economic transformation needed to achieve our 2030 goals. From our advances, we know what works…" (Foreword, page 2).
--SDG Tracker, Goal 16, Our World in Data (2019). This concise summary of progress in SDG 16 includes several global charts on homicides, conflict deaths, domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual violence, unsentenced detainees, bribery, public access to information, human rights institutions, etc.
"Our SDG Tracker presents data across all available indicators from the Our World in Data database, using official statistics from the UN and other international organizations. It is a free, open-access publication that tracks global progress towards the SDGs and allows people around the world to hold their governments accountable to achieving the agreed goals. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are defined in a list of 169 SDG Targets. Progress towards these Targets is agreed to be tracked by 232 unique Indicators. Here is the full list of definitions….For many Indicators data is available, but major data gaps remain...We hope that this collaborative approach allows us to support the United Nations in developing the most complete and up-to-date sources for tracking global progress to 2030.” (excerpt from SDG Tracker website)
--Implementation of the 2030 Agenda through SDG 16+: Anchoring Peace, Justice, and Inclusion, Global Alliance (2019). We suggest reviewing Key Findings (pages 31-35) and Key Trends pages 37-45).
"[This] report seeks to provide an overview of global SDG 16+ action, illustrating SDG 16+ progress and country experiences and the perspectives of multiple stakeholders active on 16+. The report uses the term ‘SDG 16+’, that has been coined to reflect the linkages between goals and targets beyond SDG 16 that embody commitments to peace, justice, and inclusion across all the SDGs [see summary charts of pages 25-26]. By focusing on SDG 16+ in this report, we fully recognize the interdependent nature of SDG 16, its 12 targets and the 24 other targets of other SDGs that directly measure an aspect of peace, justice and inclusion.” (Foreword, page 18)
“SDG 16 is key to achieving the transformative 2030 Agenda. Its focus on seven tenets of strong institutions (effective, inclusive, responsive, participative, representative, accountable and transparent), as well as peaceful societies, are necessary for achieving all SDGs. This is true whether the goal is related to education, health, economic growth, climate change or beyond. Without sustained peace, which goes beyond the mere absence of violence and includes respect for human rights and the rule of law, development gains are reversed. And without inclusion and access to justice for all, inequalities in poverty reduction and socio-economic development will increase and countries’ commitments to leaving no one behind will not be met.” (Introduction, page 20)
--SDG 16+ Progress Report: A Comprehensive Global Audit of Progress on Available SDG 16 Indicators. Institute for Economics and Peace (2019). See the Executive Summary and Key Findings (pages 2-4) and Section 3 on Positive Peace (pages 28-33).
"Building on previous work, this year’s report will focus on SDG16+. It covers the practical aspects of what data is available and what sources can currently be used as proxies. The report looks at the likely timeline for obtaining the missing data and the best mechanisms for collecting the data in ten case studies. SDG16+ extends SDG16 to reflect that creating peaceful, just and inclusive societies requires simultaneous efforts in other interlinked SDGs. The broader measures of SDG16+ combines the original SDG16 targets with an additional 24 targets from seven other SDGs, taking the total number of targets to 36. These additional targets are measured by a total of 33 indicators.
The main finding of the report is that although there is a clear conceptual link between SDG16 and the additional SDG16+ targets, the empirical link cannot be clearly established. The lack of data offers a potential explanation for this, if more data were available the link may be more easily shown. IEP has conducted a comprehensive data audit finding that of the additional 33 indicators in SDG16+ there is official data for only 15 of these indicators, with only six of these indicators having coverage for more than 100 countries. To assist in filling gaps in the data, IEP provides a number of measures that can be used as substitutes until the appropriate official data sources are developed..." (Executive Summary, page 2).
11 Steps for SDG 16+
SaferWorld "Preventing violent conflict. Building safer lives."
Final Thoughts
Fulfilling Our Political and Moral Responsibilities
“We are at a historic crossroads, and the direction we take will determine whether we will succeed or fail in fulfilling our promises....Our globalized world is marked by extraordinary progress alongside unacceptable—and unsustainable—levels of want, fear, discrimination, exploitation, injustice and environmental folly at all levels…These are universal challenges. They demand new levels of multilateral action, based on evidence and built on shared values, principles and priorities for a common destiny…None of today’s threats respect boundaries drawn by human beings, whether those boundaries are national borders or boundaries of class, ability, age, gender, geography, ethnicity or religion....I urge Governments and people everywhere to fulfill their political and moral responsibilities. This is my call to dignity, and we must respond with all our vision and strength" UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, The Road to Dignity by 2030 (2014, synthesis report on sustainable development; excerpts from paragraphs 2,11,14,15, 25, bold font added for emphasis) .
We appreciate many of the comments and indeed admonitions that sustainable development requires fulfilling both political and moral responsibilities, and doing so with all of our vision and strength (e.g., quote above). The challenging and often uncomfortable corollary to this assertion though is that for all of us a) significant behavior changes are required: changes to policies, governance systems, and yes, our lifestyles; and b) significant mentality changes are required: for example, me becomes we--them becomes us.
As psychologists and people of faith, we have found it very helpful to include several related, crucial perspectives in the discussions and debates about sustainable progress for the SDGs, including SDG 16+. For example, these five perspectives:
--Political responsibilities include moral responsibilities, and vice versa.
--Social transformation involves personal transformation, and vice versa.
--Strong institutions require strong integrity.
--Pro-integrity and pro-character are just as important as anti-corruption and anti-crime. Hence we believe it is important to explicitly cultivate virtues such as prudence, courage, justice, honesty, and benevolence as we confront corruption and crime.
--And finally, it is entirely appropriate and necessary, given the fact that 85% of the world have a faith-religious affiliation, to respect people's non-secular worldview which highlights the centrality of God, including dependence on God, to help realize the SDGs. One example of the many faith-based contributions is the new scoping study from the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities, "The Role of Local Faith Actors in Anti-Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking" (2019). See also Being Faith-Based and Evidence-Based (Global Integration Update, May 2019).
"...the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either--but right through every human heart--and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains...an unuprooted small corner of evil."
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago
 Image courtesy and ©2019 ENOD
Member Care Associates Inc. (MCA) is a non-profit, Christian organization working internationally from Geneva and the USA. MCA's involvement in Global Integration focuses on the wellbeing and effectiveness of personnel and their organizations in the mission, humanitarian, and development sectors as well as global mental health, all with a view towards supporting sustainable development for all people and the planet. Our services include consultation, training, research, developing resources, and publications.
Global Integration (GI) is a framework for actively and responsibly engaging in our world--locally to globally. It emphasizes connecting relationally and contributing relevantly on behalf of human wellbeing and the issues facing humanity, in light of our integrity, commitments, and core values (e.g., ethical, humanitarian, human rights, faith-based). GI encourages a variety of people to be at the “global tables” and in the "global trenches"--and everything in-between--in order to help research, shape, and monitor agendas, policies, and action for all people and the planet. It intentionally links building the world we need with being the people we need.
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