The global fight against inequality, exclusion, corruption, impunity, and injustice highlights the deeply challenging nature of political landscapes in many contexts and the relevance of SDG 16 universally.
In 2020, global protest movements and pro-democracy mass mobilization were at an all-time high. In 2020, this upswing in mass, and often organic, political mobilization and protest was followed by an extraordinary movement for racial justice and an end to systemic abuse. There have been more coups in the last year than in the last five years combined.
While some governments are creating enabling environment for transparency, accountability, and a diversity of voices, many others are restricting them, applying “states of emergency” and clamping down on fundamental freedoms around expression, assembly and civic space.
The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer found 2020 to be a year defined by “an epidemic of misinformation and widespread mistrust of social institutions (government, business, NGOs and media) and leaders around the world”.
Greater financial investment in SDG 16 across actors and sectors is critical, including in capacity-building, policy guidance, data and analytics, technology for scale, and partnerships. As highlighted by the OECD, global efforts to finance the recovery have been generally unequal, with resources being diverted from SDG 16 related initiatives and efforts to more immediate health measures.
Module 1: Integrating VNR Findings into Government Architecture
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