Eyeing a blueprint for a 50% reduction in global violence by 2030 — introducing the Pathfinders Task Force

We are living in pressured times. The Agenda for Sustainable Development calls nations to “significantly reduce” violence by 2030. Yet, trends before the COVID-19 pandemic suggested that the world would struggle to achieve this and could in fact see an increase in lethal violence by 2030, costing 660,000 lives a year. Conflict has increasingly become more complex and protracted. Furthermore, over 80 percent of global lethal violence occurs outside of conflict zones, much of it in specific cities and neighborhoods. With growing inequality, unrest and polarization following the pandemic, risks are now mounting also of increasing violence. We already see worrisome trends for violence against women and violence against children, as well as urban violence in some countries.

The Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies believe the time is ripe for building new violence reduction efforts, and for investigating solutions and sharing experiences. We need to build a joint movement, connecting the traditional silos of security policy thinkers, peacebuilders and violence reduction groups. Therefore, Pathfinders have summoned an exceptional group of ‘architects,’ who aim to help shape the global debate on violence reduction, garnering action-oriented research, encouraging increased political capital, stimulating investment and providing leadership to the movement to halve global violence by 2030.

On June 15 and 16, the Halving Global Violence (HGV) Task Force will hold its initial meeting as a Wilton Park high-level virtual convening. Its leadership is made up of ministerial-level appointments with significant experience and knowledge in different facets and geographies of violence reduction.

Co-Chairs include:

• H.E. Fiorella Salazar, Minister of Peace and Justice, Costa Rica
• H.E. Amb. Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah Sr, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Liberia
• H.E. Lindiwe Daphney Zulu, Minister of Social Development, South Africa
• H.E. Patricia Danzi, Director General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Members of the Task Force include:

• Ghida Anani (ABAAD)
• Dr. Vasu Gounden (ACCORD)
• Asif Saleh (BRAC)
• Óscar Escobar (Mayor of Palmira, Colombia)
• Ilwad Elman (Elman Peace Centre)
• Dr. Helder da Costa (G7+)
• Tuesday Reitano (Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime)
• Dr. Howard Taylor (Global Partnerships to End Violence Against Children)
• Ilona Szabó de Carvalho (Igarapé Institute)
• Hajer Sharief (Together We Built It)
• Daniel de Torres (Small Arms Survey)
• Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid (UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children)
• Dr. Peter Batchelor (UNDP)
• Verlaine Soobroydoo (UN Women)
• Dr. Etienne Krug (WHO)

Finally, the HGV Task Force will benefit from a ‘brain trust’ of highly-knowledgeable Expert Advisors to help guide its research and policy needs and output, including:

• Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
• Dr. Robert Muggah (Igarapé Institute)
• Jordan Street (Saferworld)
• Rachel Locke (Impact:Peace)
• Dr. Roberto Dondisch (Stimson Center)
• Dr. Angela Me (UNODC)
• Kessy Ekomo-Soignet (URU, Peace Direct)
• Flávia Carbonari (World Bank)
• Bernard Harborne (World Bank)
• Tyler Beckelman (U.S. Institute of Peace)

Having labored on the foundations of the Halving Global Violence by 2030 (HGV) movement — including cornerstones such as the Peace in Our Cities network tackling urban violence and GENSAC, which focuses on gender-responsive small arms control — the Pathfinders are thrilled to assist the Task Force in its aim to culminate the publication of a flagship report in 2023 shaping new policies and programs for global violence reduction.