Peace Justice And Strong Institutions

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.

Violence against children

Violence against children affects more than 1 billion children around the world and costs societies up to US$ 7 trillion a year.
50% of the world’s children experience violence every year.
Every 5 minutes, somewhere in the world, a child is killed by violence
1 in 10 children is sexually abused before the age of 18.
9 in 10 children live in countries where corporal punishment is not fully prohibited, leaving 732 million children without legal protection.
1 in 3 internet users worldwide is a child and 800 million of them use social media. Any child can become a victim of online violence.
Child online sexual abuse reports to NCMEC has grown from 1 million in 2014 to 45 million in 2018.
246 million children worldwide affected by school-related violence each year.
1 in 3 students has been bullied by their peers at school in the last month, and at least 1 in 10 children have experienced cyberbullying.

Goal 16 targets

16.1 Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere

16.2 End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children

16.3 Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all

16.4 By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime

16.5 Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms

16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels

16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels

16.8 Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance

16.9 By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration

16.10 Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements

16.A Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime

16.B Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development