UN Global Progress Report on SDG16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The report finds that discrimination is widespread, corruption is pervasive, governance is not inclusive, and people are unable to access justice.

The latest UN Global Progress Report on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 - Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions - was launched today, revealing concerning data that threatens to undermine progress on all SDGs.

The world is far from peaceful, with a 72 percent increase in conflict-related civilian deaths to 33,400 lives in 2023 compared to 2022. Governments are failing to protect the rights of all people to live a life free from fear and violence. Violent crime is on the rise, and organized crime is an increasing threat to peace and development, destroying lives and communities. The report finds that discrimination is widespread, corruption is pervasive, governance is not inclusive, and people are unable to access justice.

The new report, titled "Global Progress Report on SDG 16 Indicators: At the Crossroads: Breakdown or Breakthrough for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions," was launched during the High-Level Political Forum at UN Headquarters by the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed. The second UN progress report on SDG 16 was jointly produced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), along with six other entities.

“SDG 16 is a crucial enabler of all SDGs,” stated UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. “This new report shows that we need to urgently scale up action on the SDGs to build peaceful, just, and inclusive societies, leaving no one behind.”

With only 17 percent of the SDGs targets on track and over one-third stalling or regressing, the new report calls for action by governments and all stakeholders to accelerate progress on SDG 16 or risk failing all the SDGs.

The joint UN report uses regional and global data to assess internationally agreed SDG 16 indicators, enabling governments to adjust or develop policy solutions to meet SDG 16 targets. Despite increased data availability in recent years, the UN report calls for more investment in improving data from more countries to strengthen evidence-based research to support policy implementation and progress on SDG 16.

Key Findings of the Report:

Unprecedented Rise of Conflict-Related Deaths: Civilian deaths in armed conflict surged to 33,400 in 2023, an increase of 72 percent compared to 2022. Women represented 36 percent of the casualties, and children represented 31 percent. These figures represent the highest proportion of women and children casualties since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Increasing Killing of Journalists, Human Rights Defenders, and Trade Unionists: The number of journalists and media workers killed globally in 2023 doubled to 40 individuals, compared to 20 in 2021 and 28 in 2022. More journalists were killed in conflict-affected countries in 2023 compared to 2022.

Organized Crime: Organized crime poses a significant obstacle to peace and development, accounting for 22 percent of global homicides in 2021, particularly in the Americas, where it accounted for 50 percent of homicides.

High Levels of Violence against Women: An estimated 48,800 women and girls were killed globally by their intimate partners or family members in 2022. The total number of female victims of homicide stood at 88,000 in 2022, the highest yearly number recorded in the past 20 years.

Gender Equality: Women’s representation in public institutions varies, with high-income countries achieving gender parity while women are significantly underrepresented in public service roles in low-income countries.

Violence against Children: Almost 8 in 10 children under 14 years of age were subjected to violent discipline at home. More than one-third of detected victims of trafficking in persons were children.

Widespread Discrimination: One in six people globally experience discrimination based on various grounds. Among both women and men, racial discrimination, rooted in factors such as ethnicity, color, or language, is among the most common grounds. Persons with disabilities face discrimination almost twice as frequently.

Quotes from UN Agency Principals:

UNDP: “Far too many people around the world endure daily insecurity, injustice, and violence. Behind these stark statistics lie powerful human stories of dreams and potential lost, of suffering and despair,” said Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator. “Understanding and interpreting these new data and trends is vital to building strong, inclusive, and responsive institutions that can deliver justice and establish a stable foundation where every individual, everywhere, can realize a future defined by peace, dignity, opportunity, and hope.”

UNODC: “The latest SDG 16 report reflects alarming realities of crime and violence that are impacting people everywhere,” stated Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC. “Organized crime is claiming lives, and violence is ravaging communities, while corruption and illicit financial flows enable criminality and erode trust. These intertwined threats and challenges are seriously undermining peace, security, and development around the world, and the most vulnerable are the first to suffer. Using the findings of this report as a rallying call, we must step up global action and cooperation to promote justice and the rule of law, to protect women, children, and the vulnerable, and to support effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions that enjoy the trust of the public.”

OHCHR: “Human rights are intrinsic to the 2030 Agenda. And the right to peace is at the heart of human rights and development - a right that has been violated with increasing brutality as laid bare by this report,” said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. “The data we have managed to gather also indicates that at least one journalist, human rights defender, or trade unionist is killed or disappeared every single day across the world. This is deeply alarming and underscores the urgent need to take measures to protect civic space and safeguard fundamental freedoms.”