Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable
development, provide access to justice for all and build effective,
accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
I. SUMMARY
SDG 16 provides the framework for peace, justice for all, and strong institutions – which are fundamental for
accelerating progress of other SDGs, and for achieving the overall objective of leaving no one behind. In addition,
the 2030 Agenda includes 24 targets from seven other SDGs that are linked to the aspiration of peace, justice
and strong institutions. Together these targets are referred to as SDG16+ and illustrate the interlinkages between
SDG 16 and other SDGs. Without peace, justice, inclusion and strong institutions, achieving other goals can be
difficult to impossible, and vice-versa various SDGs (such as poverty, climate change) can help or hinder the
achievement of SDG 16.1
The Asia-Pacific region has a long way to go to achieve Goal 16 targets. Though the region has seen a reduction
in the number of internal and external conflicts, there is an increase in violent crime, terrorism, insurgency, and
political instability in the region.2 This is also closely linked to limited improvement in rule of law and protection
of human rights, leading to an increase in the number of countries adopting policies to restrict civic space.3
The region has the highest number of journalists murdered,4 as well as unsentenced detainees.5 Data shows
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See SDG16hub https://www.sdg16hub.org/interlinkages.
Institute for Economics & Peace, Global Peace Index 2018: Measuring Peace in a Complex World (Sydney, June 2018). p. 12.
International Center for Not-for Profit Law, “Survey of Trends Affecting Civic Space: 2015-16”, vol. 7, No. 4 (September 2016).
See also Firmin, Andrew (CIVICUS), “Contested and under pressure: a snapshot of the enabling environment of civil society
in 22 countries”, Ine Van Severen, eds. (2017).
UNESCO observatory of killed journalists https://en.unesco.org/themes/safety-journalists/observatory
UN Statistics Division, SDG Metadata Repository, Data for indicator 16.3.2 on Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of
overall prison population
This goal profile has been coordinated by: