The report highlights the severe impact of illicit financial flows from drug markets, which drain critical resources, fuel corruption, and finance both organized crime and terrorism.
By Gursimran Kaur
Despite global efforts to enhance the safety of human lives, progress has stagnated and public perceptions of safety have remained unchanged since 2017. The global homicide rate saw only a modest five per cent decrease from 2015 to 2022 – far below the ambitious target of a 50 per cent reduction in homicides world leaders had drawn up when the Sustainable Development Goals were framed.
These findings are contained in a newly released global progress report on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 produced jointly by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The report underscores the urgent need for intensified action to address rising violence, persistent inequality, and entrenched corruption.
Titled ‘Global Progress Report on Sustainable Development Goal 16 Indicators: At the Crossroads: Breakdown or Breakthrough for Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions’, the report reveals a troubling surge in civilian casualties. Between 2022 and 2023, civilian deaths from armed conflicts soared by 72 per cent, marking the highest increase since the 2030 Agenda’s adoption in 2015. The proportion of women and children among these casualties has risen sharply, with the rate of women killed doubling and child casualties tripling.
The reports says, “Access to justice, both civil and criminal, is not a privilege – it is a fundamental human right. However, there remains a persistent gap in people’s willingness to seek and access justice. Data indicate that less than half of those who experience physical violence report the incident to the competent authorities.”
The report highlights significant challenges in achieving peace, justice, and strong institutions worldwide.
The data in the report reflects that human rights commitments are not being met, violence is increasing, inequality continues to hinder inclusive decision-making, and corruption erodes the social contract.
Discrimination persists
The report acknowledged that while 2023 saw a decline in the killings of human rights defenders, journalists, and trade unionists – from 448 in 2022 to 320 in 2023 – the year also witnessed an increase in enforced disappearance cases. On average, more than one human rights defender, journalist, or trade unionist was killed or disappeared every day in 2023.
Children are subjected to violence everywhere, the report says, even at places that are supposed to be safe for them — violent disciplining at home being the most common and widespread form of violence against children. Globally, two in every five detected victims is a child, a share that has progressively increased from 30 per cent in 2016 to 38 per cent in 2022, according to the report.
According to the report, discrimination persists and constitutes a formidable barrier to the realisation of sustainable development and human rights in every country. Global statistics reveal that one in six individuals encounters discrimination, whereas persons with disabilities face it nearly twice as frequently compared to people without disabilities.
“Available data shows that women experienced four times more gender-based discrimination than men,” says the report, adding that. “Intersectional discrimination is widespread. Race or ethnic origin, skin colour, and language are serving as the bedrock of discrimination worldwide.”
The representation and inclusiveness of women within public service institutions remain a challenge in many countries across the world. Also, young people remain notably absent from political decision-making positions. While high-income countries have achieved parity in women’s representation (a ratio of 1.06), low-income countries continue to show significant underrepresentation of women in public service roles, with a ratio of 0.40, states the joint report.
The report says, “Countries should implement targeted recruitment programs, such as gender quotas, and prioritize gender-responsive public administration reforms, including flexible work arrangements, childcare policies, equal pay, retention, and promotion practices, to ensure equitable representation of women in public service institutions.”
Sustained global efforts needed
The provided data suggests that girls are generally at a heightened risk of sexual violence. Women and girls make up 60 per cent of the victims of trafficking detected globally in 2022. 65 per cent of women feel safe in their community. Whereas men are more likely to be victims of physical violence than women, they also constitute the majority of conflict-related deaths.
Organized crime continues to pose a significant threat to global stability and development. It was responsible for 22 per cent of global homicides in 2021, with the Americas particularly affected, where organized crime accounted for 50 per cent of homicides. The report highlights the severe impact of illicit financial flows from drug markets, which drain critical resources, fuel corruption, and finance both organized crime and terrorism. Efforts to trace the origins of illicit firearms remain a challenge, with only 45 per cent of firearms successfully traced between 2016 and 2022 in the 29 countries with available data.
The report emphasizes the transnational nature of many issues related to SDG 16, underscoring the need for international cooperation to tackle organized crime and other global challenges. It also calls for improved data collection to better understand and address issues of exclusion and violence. Despite some progress, current data availability remains insufficient for comprehensive monitoring at the national level.
The report concludes with a call for enhanced national statistical capacities to track progress and inform policies that promote peace, justice, and inclusion. Achieving the targets of SDG 16 requires sustained global efforts and collaboration to overcome these persistent challenges, it says.
As the report says, “Sustained global efforts and collaboration are crucial to combat the deep-rooted issues of violence, organized crime, and exclusion. With collective efforts, we can create a world where peace, justice, and inclusivity prevail, ensuring a future where everyone feels safe and valued.”
Image: Hippopx
