SDG 16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies

The threats of international homicide, violence against children, human trafficking and sexual violence are important to address to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development. They pave the way for the provision of access to justice for all and for building effective, accountable institutions at all levels.

While homicide and trafficking cases have seen significant progress over the past decade, there are still thousands of people at greater risk of intentional murder within Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and around Asia. Children’s rights violations through aggression and sexual violence continue to plague many countries around the world, especially as under-reporting and lack of data aggravate the problem.

To tackle these challenges and build a more peaceful, inclusive societies, there needs to be more efficient and transparent regulations put in place and comprehensive, realistic government budgets. One of the first steps towards protecting individual rights is the implementation of worldwide birth registration and the creation of more independent national human rights institutions around the world.

Facts and Figures

• Among the institutions most affected by corruption are the judiciary and police.
• 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 46% 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 rule of law and development have a significant interrelation and are mutually reinforcing, making it essential for sustainable development at the national and international level.
• The proportion of prisoners held in detention without sentencing has remained almost constant in the last decade, at 31% of all prisoners

Space-based technologies for SDG 16

SDG 16 aims to develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions and strengthening the participation of developing countries in these institutions. UNOOSA acts as the Secretariat for the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), set up by the General Assembly in 1959 to govern the exploration and use of space for the benefit of all humanity. COPUOS, which started with 24 member states and has 87 members as of 2018, is a unique global forum to discuss international cooperation in space exploration and the use of space technology for development. Read more here.