Sustainable Development Goal: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Human rights are a relatively new “invention” if we talk about their actual implementation, and not just existing on a philosophical level or in the form of unofficial declarations. Even at the beginning of the 20th century, there was no single, universal and legally binding catalogue of human rights. It was only after the Second World War, thanks to the activities of the United Nations, that there was a discussion on this topic. At the San Francisco Conference on June 26, 1945, the Charter of the United Nations was signed, and nearly 40 non-governmental organizations called for greater attention to human rights.

Today, this mission is continued by the UN, trying to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which address issues such as poverty, environmental protection and access to education. These targets also identify gaps and set specific tasks for the world to achieve by 2030. The 16 UN goals are to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, ensure access to justice for all people, and build effective and accountable institutions at all levels that are inclusive.

Weak institutions = weak society?

They are certainly easier to attack — and in modern wars, attackers no longer need to use weapons to invade, using instead tools such as disinformation, cybercrime or massive, often online propaganda. How can you protect yourself from this? UN Goal 16 focuses primarily on social foundations, including strong institutions that citizens can refer to or get support from. Such institutions, especially state institutions, should respond to social needs, educate, provide care, promote ethical standards and nurture the values enshrined in the country's constitution. If institutions function efficiently, reliably and are in constant contact with citizens, a mechanism is created that builds the resilience of the state and, above all, social trust.

Today we face the challenge of violence, murder, human trafficking and sexual crimes that threaten peace and inclusive societies. It is necessary to ensure that all people have access to justice and to build effective, accountable and friendly institutions. Although the number of killings and trafficking in human beings has been reduced in the last decade, in regions such as Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, thousands of people are still at risk. Aggression and violence against children also remain a serious problem (the scale is difficult to determine due to lack of data). Building safe and inclusive societies requires effective, transparent legislation and realistic state budgets. Birth registration and the creation of independent national human rights institutions are also an important step.

What data do we collide with? Corruption in public institutions such as the judiciary and the police costs developing countries $1.26 trillion annually, these measures could significantly improve the situation of the poorest. At the same time, violence against children remains a global problem, with 50% of children experiencing it every year, and one in five dies as a result of violence every 5 minutes. In addition, 28.5 million children of early school age do not go to school due to conflict, and about 800 million use social media, exposing them to online violence. These challenges show that effective rule of law, responsible institutions and protection of children's rights are key to sustainable development.

What are the objectives of SDG 16 (Sustainable Development Goals)?

The 16th goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is to build peaceful and inclusive societies and ensure access to justice for all people. In this context, three key tasks stand out:

• significant Reducing the level of violence in all forms and the associated mortality rate;
• elimination of abuse, exploitation and trafficking in human beings and all forms violence against children;
• promoting the rule of law at national and international level; and ensuring equal access to justice for all.

Achieving these tasks requires at the same time developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels, combating corruption and organised crime, ensuring universal access to information, protecting fundamental freedoms and establishing birth registration and legal identity systems. As always with the 17 UN Goals, international cooperation and strengthening the capacity of institutions in developing countries (for security, social inclusion and lasting peace) are also key.

Who helps? Examples of institutions

There are many organizations around the world whose activities affect the observance of the law, the maintenance of peace and the prevention of violence, including political violence. On the one hand, these are international organisations such as the UN or the International Criminal Court, on the other - institutions operating within the European Union, such as the European Court of Human Rights or the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, and on the third - state and local organisations, including local government institutions. There are also many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that monitor human rights, carry out educational activities and support people exposed to violence or discrimination.

One of the most interesting initiatives, effectively alerting about human rights violations, is the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, which documents cases of violations of the law, conducts research and supports victims of repression and violence. Another example of far-reaching action is Amnesty International, which operates globally, running education campaigns, reporting human rights violations and pressuring governments to comply with them.

summary

UN Goal 16 focuses on building peaceful, inclusive societies and strong institutions that ensure justice and the protection of human rights. Achieving this goal requires reducing violence, eliminating trafficking in human beings and supporting the rule of law, as well as developing transparent institutions at all levels. International cooperation, effective protection of children and the fight against corruption are key elements for achieving sustainable development and social stability.

Sources

1. https://www.un.org.pl/cel16
2. https://www.unic.un.org.pl/prawa-czlowieka/historia-praw-czlowieka/3128
3. https://hfhr.pl/
4. https://www.amnesty.org.pl/
5. https://odpowiedzialnybiznes.pl/aktualno%C5%9Bci/pokoj-sprawiedliwosc-i-silne-instytucje/?cn-reloaded=1
6. https://www.gov.pl/web/polskapomoc/pokoj-sprawiedliwosc-i-silne-instytucje