Aims to “Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies”.
Let's learn a little more about SDG 16.
Creating strong, accountable and inclusive institutions foster a sense of justice and fairness among people, and thus help in creating a peaceful society. People everywhere need to be free of fear from any form of violence and feel safe as they go about their lives irrespective of their ethnicity, faith or sexual orientation. Conflict, insecurity, weak institutions and limited access to justice remain threats to sustainable development. Governments, civil society and communities must collaborate and work together, right upto the individual level, and create lasting solutions to reduce violence, deliver justice, fight corruption and ensure inclusive participation at all times.
Quoting the noted economist Amartya Sen, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda writes in his 2017 Peace Proposal:
“the roles of institutions, rules and organization, important as they are, have to be assessed in the broader and more inclusive perspective of nyaya, which is inescapably linked with the world that actually emerges, not just the institutions or rules we happen to have.”
Corruption, bribery, theft and tax evasion cost some US $1.26 trillion for developing countries per year; this amount of money could be used to lift those who are living on less than $1.25 a day above $1.25 for at least six years.
Birth registration has occurred for 73 per cent of children under 5, but only 46per cent of Sub-Saharan Africa have had their births registered.
Approximately 28.5 million primary school age who are out of school live in conflict-affected areas.
The proportion of prisoners held in detention without sentencing has remained almost constant in the last decade, at 31per cent of all prisoners.
The number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict exceeded 70 million in 2018, the highest level recorded by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in almost 70 years.
In 2019, the United Nations tracked 357 killings and 30 enforced disappearances of human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists in 47 countries.
Violence against children affects more than 1 billion children around the world and costs societies up to US$ 7 trillion a year.
50 per cent of the world’s children experience violence every year.
Every 7 minutes, somewhere in the world, a child is killed by violence.
1 in 10 children is sexually abused before the age of 18.
9 in 10 children live in countries where corporal punishment is not fully prohibited, leaving 732 million children without legal protection.
1 in 3 internet users worldwide is a child and 800 million of them use social media. Any child can become a victim of online violence.
Child online sexual abuse reports to NCMEC has grown from 1 million in 2014 to 45 million in 2018.
246 million children worldwide affected by school-related violence each year.
1 in 3 students has been bullied by their peers at school in the last month, and at least 1 in 10 children have experienced cyberbullying.
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 organized 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.