© UN Women / Christopher Herwig

Every day,
PEACE, JUSTICE, AND 100
STRONG INSTITUTIONS: civilians
– including
WHY THEY MATTER women and
children –
What’s the goal here?
are killed
Conflict, insecurity, weak
institutions and limited
Promote peaceful and access to justice remain
inclusive societies for
sustainable development,
threats to sustainable
development. In 2019, in armed
provide access to justice
for all and build effective,
accountable and inclusive
the number of people
fleeing war, persecution conflicts
institutions at all levels.
and conflict exceeded
79.5 million, the highest despite
Why?
level ever recorded. One
in four children continues
protections
People everywhere need
to be free of fear from
to be deprived of legal
identity through lack of
under
all forms of violence birth registration, often international
and feel safe as they go
about their lives whatever
limiting their ability to
exercise rights in other law
their ethnicity, faith or areas. The COVID-19
sexual orientation. pandemic threatens to
amplify and exploit
fragilities across the globe.
What needs to be done to
address this?
Governments, civil
society and communities
must work together
to implement lasting
solutions to reduce
violence, deliver justice,
combat corruption and
ensure inclusive
participation at all times.
Freedom to express views,
in private and in public,
must be guaranteed. From
2015 to 2019, the United
Nations recorded at least
1,940 killings and 106
enforced disappearances
of human rights defenders,
journalists and trade union-
ists across 81 countries,
with over half of killings
occurring in Latin America
and the Caribbean. Laws
and policies must be
applied without any form
of discrimination. Disputes
need to be resolved
through functioning
and justice systems.
National and local insti-
tutions must be account-
able and need to be in
place to deliver basic
services to communities
equitably and without
the need for bribes.
How does this goal apply do not function accord-
ing to legitimate laws are
to me, wherever I live? prone to arbitrariness and
Crimes that threaten the abuse of power, and less
foundation of peaceful capable of delivering pub-
societies, including lic services to everyone.
homicides, human traffick-
To exclude and to dis-
ing and other organized
criminate not only vio-
crimes, as well as dis-
lates human rights, but
criminatory laws or prac-
also causes resentment
tices, affect all countries.
and animosity, and could
Even the world’s greatest
give rise to violence.
democracies face major
challenges in addressing What can we do?
corruption, crime and
Exercise your right to hold
human rights violations
your elected officials to
for everyone at home.
account. Exercise your right
What would be the cost of to freedom of information
and share your opinion with
not taking action now?
your elected representatives.
Armed violence and inse-
Promote inclusion and
curity have a destructive
respect towards people
impact on a country’s devel-
of different ethnic origins,
opment, affecting economic
religions, gender, sexual
growth and often resulting
orientations or different
in long-standing grievances
opinions. Together, we can
among communities.
help to improve conditions
Violence affects children’s for a life of dignity for all.
health, development and
To find out more
well-being, and their ability
about Goal #16 and
to thrive. It causes trauma
other Sustainable
and weakens social inclusion.
Development Goals, visit:
Lack of access to justice
http://www.un.org/
means that conflicts remain
sustainabledevelopment
unresolved and people
cannot obtain protection
and redress. Institutions that