By Paul von Chamier, Research Officer, NYU CIC

“We are all in this together” was a popular phrase when the pandemic hit last year. Soon enough though, we learned that it was the poor and underprivileged who bore the brunt of the crisis. Now we have enough data to illustrate how inequality and exclusion are not only a result of the pandemic, but that they can also compound virus infection rates. As we look towards a future with more pandemic-like crises, it’s crucial to make investments in equality and inclusion now in order to strengthen societies’ shock resilience.

In our…

The events of 2020 have upended homes, workplaces, and communities. Under the highly challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are struggling to keep their jobs, put food on the table, avoid eviction, and feel safe at home. While everyone is facing unprecedented challenges, women — especially those who already face justice problems — are bearing the brunt of the economic and social fallout of COVID-19.

Women have only three-quarters of the legal rights afforded to men worldwide, with the greatest inequities relating to family, employment, control of economic assets, and violence. And we know that unmet justice needs…

SDG16+ Champions of Change

Champions of Change is an initiative started by the Pathfinders to highlight advocates who have made an impact in their communities and helped to create peaceful, just and inclusive societies (SDG16+). It provides an opportunity to feature individuals, businesses, and organizations doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.

• Intissar Kherigi is a PhD student in Political Science at the Centre for International Relations at Sciences Po University in Paris. Her academic research focuses on decentralization, regional inequalities and local governance reforms in post-Revolution Tunisia. She holds a Bachelor in Law from Kings College, Cambridge University and…

“As a girl, I have seen how much gender inequality affects life. (…) In our families, community, we, the girls have to obey the prohibitions… the rules are only for girls. Usually, we are blamed for anything wrong happened with us. (…) A collective was established and as a female collective member, I can say that our collectives have established equal rights for all boys and girls, they discuss different issues together, and everyone listens with respect.”

Masuma, a 16 year-old child activist, living in Malda, West Bengal, India.

The Generation Equality Forum kicks off today in Mexico and will…

In June 2021, the United Nations General Assembly will hold its first ever Special Session (UNGASS) against corruption. UN Member States are currently working on a Political Declaration in advance of the meeting which is intended to renew the commitment of all countries to fight corruption and to accelerate the agenda first set out in the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) of 2005.

The Special Session is one of multiple opportunities in 2021 to build momentum in the battle against corruption. This week, the OECD held its annual Global Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum , followed by the G7 Meetings…

By Peter Chapman, Independent Expert on Justice and Governance and Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation (CIC)

Weak justice data is undermining progress towards justice for all. Without people-centered justice data, policymakers may misdiagnose problems or misallocate scarce resources. Data can reveal justice investment strategies to most effectively and efficiently address and resolve problems.

A shift towards better justice data is underway. The 2019 Justice for All Report of the Taskforce on Justice laid out a roadmap to put people at the center of justice systems and justice at the heart of sustainable development. As more and…

By Liv Tørres and Professor David Everatt

Before COVID-19 laid waste to 2020, escalating anxiety about climate change, inequality, intergenerational tension and other social ills gave rise to calls for ‘a new social contract’. When UN Secretary-General António Guterres raised the need for a new social contract in his Mandela lecture last year, it set the agenda for many more international and national conversations about this concept. Social contracts — and preferably new social contracts — are now called for by politicians, academics and global leaders alike. It has become a buzz word, presented as a silver bullet that will…

Justice Champions of Change

For many years, the siblings of children who are removed from their homes by social services in Scotland have had no rights to attend or contribute to those children’s court hearings. This has often resulted in siblings being separated permanently from one another, with no means of staying in contact and maintaining their relationship.

Last August, however, the Scottish Parliament passed the new Children (Scotland) Act 2020, which for the first time gives brothers and sisters of children who may be taken into care the right to be notified of and attend hearings; to provide and receive reports related to…