Using the Voluntary National Reviews (VNR) to advance SDG16 and its interlinkages across the 2030 Agenda

Most SDG 16 targets are regressing or stagnating globally. As referenced in the 2023 Global Progress Report on SDG 16, many countries are falling short of their human rights obligations; violence and conflict are pervasive across regions; equal access to justice remains elusive; social contracts have been eroded and remain under pressure; and inequalities, exclusion and discrimination fuel division and polarization. Yet, amidst this sobering backdrop, there are bright spots – political choices and policy decisions made at national and local levels to advance SDG16 and its interlinkages across the SDGs, with tangible impact on people’s lives. Following last year’s SDG Summit and in advance of the Summit of the Future, this year’s HLPF, with SDG16 under in-depth review, provides a critical opportunity to share and apply concrete lessons learned among Member States and others in advancing more peaceful, just and inclusive societies, including through VNRs. 

This Lab will unpack the VNR as an important tool to support action on SDG 16. Organized by the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, UNDP and OHCHR, and in partnership with IDLO and International IDEA, this VNR Lab will examine how countries and partners have used the VNR process (pre and post-HLPF) to advance SDG 16 at national and sub-national levels; to reinforce/scale its interlinkages across the SDGs, and to highlight its role in strengthening resilience for future crises.