Nearly halfway to 2030, powerful trends and interests continue to hold back progress towards the vision of SDG 16 to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these global challenges and we are now witnessing increased levels of social unrest, entrenched structural injustice and strained institutions, causing an even further backslide on SDG 16.
Calling all young people to join an interactive conversation to identify recommendations on peace and inclusion prior to the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2021
Please register in advance here.
SDG 16 is up for review at the 2021 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) - this is providing a much-needed opportunity for the international community to demonstrate measurable progress and assess gaps on peace, justice and inclusion. SDG 16’s focus on improving responsive and accountable governance and strengthening institutions at all levels is critical to implementing the 2030 Agenda as a whole. Additionally, SDG 16 must lie at the heart of response and recovery efforts to ensure that we build back better from the pandemic.
The principles of inclusion, partnerships and collaboration lie at the heart of SDG 16. The developing world is now witnessing its largest youth generation in history, and this generation’s creativity, innovation and peace efforts must be supported to ensure progress towards peaceful, just and inclusive societies. During a time in which accelerated actions and mutual accountability are needed more than ever, it is critical that the global community make significant efforts to bolster the engagement of young leaders in building inclusiveness at all levels. This includes preserving and promoting safe and inclusive spaces for young leaders, in particular those who are most at risk of being left behind, to engage in the implementation, monitoring and reporting of SDG 16.
The ECOSOC Youth Forum will provide a space for young people to generate recommendations on the progress towards Goals 10 and 16 in the Peace and Inclusion thematic session. This preparatory event, organized in partnership between the Major Group for Children and Youth (UN MGCY), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Global Alliance for Reporting Progress on Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, will focus on key aspects of SDG 16 such as spaces for participation, digital inclusion, peace processes and the rule of law.
Programme
- Spark talk by young persons leading change for peaceful, just and inclusive societies
- Briefing by the Global Alliance for Reporting Progress on Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies
- Workshop in breakout groups on:
- Digital inclusion and safe spaces
- Participation in decision-making and peace processes
- Reducing inequalities and discrimination
- Crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law
- Partnerships for progress towards SDG 16: peace, justice and inclusion
Objectives:
- Raise awareness about trends and support to implementation, reporting and monitoring SDG 16 through UN and multistakeholder processes
- Identify youth-led recommendations on advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies in the following areas: (i) youth-specific needs in the context of SDG 16 (ii) the role of young people in monitoring and advancing progress towards the 2030 Agenda and (iii) how to best support youth agency and leadership on SDG 16
Expected outputs
- Concrete youth-led recommendations will feed into the ECOSOC Youth Forum breakout session on inclusive peace and will contribute to inform the ECOSOC Youth Forum outcome
- Identification of ways that youth coalitions can engage with the Global Alliance for Reporting Progress on Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies
Additional resources:
ECOSOC Youth Forum 2021, session on inclusive peace
Mainstreaming SDG 16. Using the VNR to Advance Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies