Ten years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a UN report shows that progress on peace, justice, and inclusion has not only stalled but is deteriorating. The ‘2025 Global Progress Report on Sustainable Development Goal 16’ finds that none of the 12 targets under SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) are on track and that 15% of them are moving in the wrong direction. Prepared jointly by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the report provides the most comprehensive picture to date of the state of peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.
Key Insights
The report finds that no SDG 16 target is unequivocally on track, and many are showing stagnation or regression, signaling a serious global reversal in peace, justice, and inclusion.
Trends of increasing violence, impunity, and erosion of civic space have been observed, making lives less safe and reducing trust in institutions.
Corruption, weak accountability, and limited access to justice remain persistent barriers. Many people globally still cannot obtain impartial legal recourse or have their rights upheld.
The report warns that a decade has been lost in achieving peace, justice, and inclusion; the 2030 deadline is under threat unless urgent reforms and innovations are adopted.
The authors emphasize the need to reverse negative trends with stronger governance, inclusive institutions, data transparency, civic engagement, and protection of human rights, especially for marginalized groups
