There are still many details to work out when it comes to the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN General Assembly in September last year. Over the next couple of months suggested indicators for the 169 targets linked to the SDGs will be debated and eventually adopted by UN member states.
But even though the details are not set yet there is a need for governments to start looking for ways to implement the SDG agenda specifically when it comes to Goal 16, to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable inclusive institutions at all levels”.
How to mainstream Goal 16 targets into national planning processes was the main focus of the Global Workshop on Initiatives to Pilot Illustrative Work on Governance in the Context of the Sustainable Development Goals, which recently took place in Kigali, Rwanda.
In support of efforts to finalise the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been working with five UN member states – Albania, Indonesia, Rwanda, Tunisia and the United Kingdom – to consider relevant approaches to implement and monitor governance-related national goals, with associated targets and indicators.
The initiative has aimed to enhance the readiness of participating countries to integrate such a goal and related targets into national planning processes, as well as to operationalize their delivery in anticipation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) being adopted. The final report of the initiative will be published within the next few weeks.
International IDEA contributed to the panel on Partnerships for Goal 16 across Governments and Beyond, at which Indonesia presented its multi stakeholder working groups on Democracy and Inclusive Society, Inclusive and Accountable Institutions, and Human Rights and Access to Justice. Sub-working groups are co-chaired by government and civil society representatives. The presenter, Donny Ardyanto of the Legal Aid Foundation hoped that the government will adopt and adjust the equal partnership structure of Goal 16 for the monitoring of all goals of the Agenda 2030
