More in depth understanding of SDGs (SDG 16 y quiero hacer el life below water o life on land)

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

What is its goal?

Promote peaceful, inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Everyone should live free from violence and fear, regardless of ethnicity, gender, faith, etc

Reasons why SDG 16 matters?

• Armed conflicts and violence hinders social and economic development: loss of lives and resources and creates an unsafe environment

• Weak Rule of Law leads to corruption, crime, exploitation, abuse.

• Vulnerable groups are more likely to suffer (e.g women, children, minorities) for i.e human trafficking, assault, etc

  • In the EU (2022) female victims of intentional homicide was twice the number of male victims (4.3 a 1.9 per million people)

Social development

Social development is the prioritization of human needs in a society and the improvement of life for all.

Social development is the process of improving quality of life, interpersonal skills, and societal structures.

Social development is the process of learning and acquiring skills, knowledge, and behaviors to interact effectively with others.

Main outcome targets (what we want to achieve (numbered 16.1 - 16.9) )? Name 5

16.1 Reduce violence everywhere

16.2 Protect children from all forms of violence and torture (abuse, exoloitation, trafficking)

16.3 Promote the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice for all

16.4 Combat organised crime and illicit financial and arms flows (illegal movement of money and weapons across borders)

• Organised crime es illegal stuff for profit (tipo illegal drugs, cyber crime, bribery)

16.5 Reduce corruption and bribery

16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutiions

16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive and representative decision making

16.8 Strengthen the participation in global governance (tipo more participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance)

16.9 Provide universal legal identity (including birth registration)

Implementation targets for SDG 16? Targets 16.a, 16.b, 16.c

16.a Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms

• Fundamental freedoms are basic rights essential to a democratic society (e.g freedom of speech, religion, assembly and association). Allows individuals to act and think without government interference

16.b Strenghten national institutions to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime

• In particular in developing countries

16.c Promote and emforce non-discriminatory laws and policies

Progress on this SDG?

• Women and youth continue to be underrepresented (27% of parliamentarians are women)

• Developing countries have significantly less voting power

  • A study of 67 climate vulnerable countries in the IMF showed they only hld 6.7% of the voting power, raising concerncs about their ability to influence climate change policies. While the US alone holds16.5%

• Civilian deaths in conflict surged by 40% in 2024 according to OHCHR (driven by conflicts in Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine).

  • Between 2023-2024 aprox 4 time more children and women were killed in armed conflicts than during 2021-2022

• Number of countries with national human rights institutions (NHRIs) increased by 25% between 2015-2023