HLPF 2021 Update

Welcome to your monthly roundup of 16+ news and views from the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies. If you find this newsletter useful, please pass it on to others working on the SDG16+ targets for peace, justice and inclusion. Subscribe or unsubscribe here — and check out the sdg16.plus website.

1. Join us at HLPF 2021!

People-centered Recovery for a Better World: Reigniting SDG16+ Action

Join us on Friday, 9 July at 9:15 AM (ET) for a dynamic event in association with the Governments of Indonesia, Sierra Leone, and Sweden to explore opportunities and actions to build peaceful, just, and inclusive societies and deliver a speedy recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speakers include:

• H.E. Juan Manuel Santos, Former President of Colombia (2010 to 2018), Nobel Peace Laureate 2016, The Elders
• H.E. Fiorella Salazar Rojas, Minister of Justice and Peace, Costa Rica
• H.E. Anabela Pedroso, State Secretary of Justice, Portugal
• Ms. Birgitta Tazelaar, Deputy Director General for International Cooperation, Netherlands
• Ms. Gabriela Bucher, Executive Director, Oxfam
• Ms. Jamira Burley, human rights activist and social impact strategist

Register here!

The Road to Inclusion: Overcoming Prejudice, Racism and Discrimination

On Monday, 12 July at 9:00 AM (ET), hear from experts exploring effective solutions and approaches to building more inclusive societies that respect diversity during this high-level event hosted by the Government of Canada and the Pathfinders.

Speakers include:

• Ms. Hina Jilani, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan; Co-Chair of the Task Force on Justice; Member of The Elders
• Mr. Francisco Calí Tzay, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Dr. Romina Boarini, Director of the Centre on Well-being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity (WISE), OECD

Register here!

2. The Dawn is Ours — Moving Forward Together for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies

“The Dawn is Ours — Moving Forward Together for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies” is an upcoming Pathfinders publication and our first annual briefing on the status and priorities for accelerating SDG16+ implementation. The report outlines the global agenda for peace, justice, and inclusion, windows of opportunity to drive progress, and areas for collective action that we should unite behind to achieve measurable results by the SDG Summit in 2023. It also includes over 35 case studies spotlighting extraordinary actions and innovations by Pathfinder countries to provide justice for all, prevent violence, and tackle inequalities and exclusion.

The publication will be launched during Pathfinders’ high-level event on Friday, 9 July at 9:15 AM on People-centered Recovery for a Better World: Reigniting SDG16+ Action!

3. Third Justice Briefing

(fancycar / Shutterstock.com)

As the pandemic continues to impact our lives and increasingly puts pressure on the basic structures of our societies, we are gearing up to publish a new briefing on Justice for All and the Social Contract, which looks at the social and political repercussions of COVID-19.

The briefing, co-authored with an international group of experts and partners, highlights what justice actors can do to alleviate social tensions. It emphasizes that justice is a make-or-break sector for the strengthening of the social contract: While justice systems which work well can help strengthen trust, abuses by justice actors or a failure to meet people’s need for fairness is a surefire way to erode that trust. The report recommends strategies for justice leaders and articulates how people-centered justice needs to be part of response and recovery efforts around the world.

This will be the third, and last briefing in our Justice in a Pandemic series. It was preceded by the first briefing on Justice for All and the Public Health Emergency, and the second briefing on Justice for All and the Economic Crisis.

4. Explore SDG16+ HLPF Events

Are you looking for HLPF events on SDG16+, exploring themes of peace, justice, and inclusion?

Explore our online compilation, featuring HLPF events organized by the Pathfinders, official events organized by Pathfinder member states, and side events organized by international organizations, civil society, and businesses.

5. Pathfinders contributing Voluntary National Reviews

This year, 44 countries will be presenting voluntary national reviews. The 17 Pathfinder countries that will be contributing include: Czech Republic, Qatar, Colombia, Uruguay, Cabo Verde, Guatemala, Mexico, Afghanistan, Denmark, Norway, Tunisia, Dominican Republic, Sierra Leone, Germany, Indonesia, Spain, Sweden. Find more information on the VNR process and key documents related to this year’s VNRs, here.

6. HLPF Declarations — Key highlights

UN member states have reached an agreement on changes to the HLPF. The final agreement highlights that review processes will be “voluntary and country-led,” and the outcome from national level processes will be the foundation for regional and global reviews. It calls for review processes to identify achievements and success factors, challenges and gaps, and to help mobilize means of implementation, as well as identify solutions.

In 2022 the HLPF theme will be ‘Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.’ Goals under review include Goals 4, 5, 14, 15, and 17.

In 2023 the HLPF theme will be ‘Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels.’ Goals under review include Goals 6,7, 9, 11, and 17.

On other inputs to the HLPF sessions, the resolution suggests that the annual progress report of the UN Secretary-General on the SDGs be made available in April each year to inform negotiations on the ministerial declaration to be adopted during the HLPF. It also requests the next Global Sustainable Development Report to be available by March 2023, to inform negotiations on the political declaration to be adopted at the 2023 SDG Summit.

7. HLPF & UNGA 2021 Key Messages

Our new publication on “SDG16+ at the HLPF and UNGA 2021,” provides key messages to inform national contributions to this year’s HLPF and UNGA. In it, we outline megatrends impacting progress on the SDGs, the enabling role of SDG16+ in delivering the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda, and provide recommendations on how to jumpstart progress on peace, justice, and inclusion — driving a people-centered recovery.

Each section includes key talking points on the relevance of accelerating action on SDG16+ and facilitate integration into statements and other texts. Some of the main takeaways from the briefing are:

• We are seriously off track when it comes to the delivery of the SDG16+ targets by 2030.
• SDG16+ is an enabler for the 2030 Agenda as a universal agenda.
• We must raise the ambition for a people-centered recovery, help prioritize peace, justice and inclusion, and support leaders to make clear and ambitious commitments on these areas.

We encourage member states and partners to use this briefing when elaborating relevant documents.

8. Progress on Pathfinders’ Grand Challenges

Halving Global Violence:

• The Pathfinders’ Task Force on Halving Global Violence — with its goal of building an ambitious platform for leaders across all sectors to drive collective action and momentum for violence prevention worldwide — met virtually for the first time at Wilton Park in June. Read our statement, introducing the Task Force and its important work ahead.
• The Gender Equality Network on Small Arms Control (GENSAC) published the first in a series of research briefs this year, putting forth ideas on leveraging international political commitments for action on gender-responsive small arms control. Read: From Promises to Progress: Opportunities for action on gender-responsive small arms control in existing international commitments.
• Looking ahead: GENSAC will be hosting a panel discussion on the sidelines of the Seventh Biennial Meeting of States of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (BMS7). We also are looking forward to participating Peace One Day global digital experience on International Peace Day (21 September 2021).

Justice for All:

• On 8 July 2021, the Bahasa Indonesia translation of the Task Force’s Justice for All report will be launched in Indonesia at an event organized jointly by the Center for International Legal Cooperation (CILC) and the Pathfinders. Register here.
• Following a first national consultation on people-centered justice in Ukraine in November 2020, the USAID New Justice Program and the Legal Development Network in Ukraine have developed roadmaps on people-centered responses to domestic violence and the problems faced by those in Ukraine informal employment. Both programs will come together on 15 July 2021 in an event organized jointly by USAID and Pathfinders for Justice to present their research and roadmaps and to discuss next steps. Find more information, here.
• As the culmination of the Generation Equality Forum got underway in Paris this week, Pathfinders took a closer look at the Action Coalitions launched due to the Forum. These mobilizing partnerships, meant to catalyze action on and drive public and private investment in gender equality, are centered around six key themes: gender-based violence; economic rights; sexual and reproductive health rights; climate justice; technology; and feminist leadership. In this week’s new blogs, Pathfinders for Justice’s Swati Mehta, made a strong case for linking all of these themes to justice issues. Pathfinders for Justice Advisor, Sabrina Mahtani — building on The Elders’ calls for action on access to justice and gender equality — highlighted organizations across the globe already working to provide justice for women along with these same themes.
• In the run-up to the Forum, IDLO, UN Women, the World Bank, and the Pathfinders organized a virtual event, examining justice gaps across the Generation Equality Action Coalition themes and discussing opportunities for collaborative engagement to prevent and resolve women’s justice problems. Watch a short film previewed in the discussion, featuring Elders, Mary Robinson, Graça Machel, and Hina Jilani, calling for action on access to justice and gender equality!
• Pathfinders recently published a Case Study on People-Centered justice in Argentina by CIC NYU Fellow and former national director for access to justice at Argentina’s Ministry of Justice, Gustavo Maurino. The case study examines how Access to Justice Centers across Argentina changed the landscape of justice delivery in Argentina and informed how similar measures could support justice for all in other countries and regions globally.

Inequality and Exclusion:

• Policy briefs on tackling inequality and exclusion: Following two years of research, policy briefs commissioned under the Grand Challenge on Inequality and Exclusion offer recommendations grounded in technical evidence and political analysis to reverse rising inequality and exclusion in priority policy areas. The most recently published policy briefs have touched on digital equity, political finance reform, and solidarity taxes. Upcoming papers will feature recommendations regarding tools to overcome polarization, employment transition policies, adequate housing, and approaches to prevent state capture, among others. Explore all of the Grand Challenge on Inequality and Exclusion’s recent publications on our website.
• Policy roundtables: In the past two months, experts and country representatives have come together in virtual roundtables to review the findings and recommendations arising from the research and country examples in the policy areas covered by the Grand Challenge. These roundtables serve to present country and local perspectives and lessons learned in building inclusive societies; provide reflections and feedback on the effectiveness and political viability of recommended policy actions, and brainstorm further elaboration of solutions.
• Cross-country Opinion Research: The Grand Challenge is carrying out polling in 9 countries to generate insight on public perceptions, expectations, and political buy-in required to implement proposed policies to tackle inequality and exclusion. The findings will support the implementation of policies at a national level and generate support and understanding on a cross-regional and global level.
• The upcoming launch of the flagship report of the Grand Challenge on Inequality and Exclusion: We look forward to the high-level launch of the flagship report of the Grand Challenge on Inequality and Exclusion during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week in September 2021! This event will serve as an opportunity to show why tackling inequality and exclusion, and a renewed social contract is key to addressing today’s challenges; showcase public demand for action, and demonstrate that success is possible by describing commitments to combat inequality and exclusion. Stay tuned for more information on the launch of this flagship report!

Plus 16 things we’re reading

1. SDG16+ Champions of Change: “The activist building a movement to end violence against children” (Pathfinders)
2. SDG16+ Champions of Change: “The Young Women Delivering Justice Solutions to Women and Girls in Nigeria” (Pathfinders)
3. Blog: “Mind the (Funding) Gap! Reflections on Political Finance to Promote Inclusive Democracy” by Yukihiko Hamada and Khushbu Agrawal (Pathfinders)
4. Blog: “Eight Ways Ombuds Institutes Can Contribute to the SDGs” by Maaike de Langen (Pathfinders)
5. Blog: “The gendered dimension of corruption — and how to tackle it” by Luisa Portugal (Pathfinders)
6. Blog: “Halving Global Violence with Innovative Coalitions and Resources” (Pathfinders)
7. Opinion: “Women’s rights must be at the centre of the global recovery” by Ban Ki-moon (The Elders)
8. Blog: “Ensuring the durability of local commitments to the SDGs” (Brookings)
9. Discussion Paper: “Access to Justice for Vulnerable Groups in Times of Covid-19 — Libya” (ILAC)
10. Policy Brief: A Gender Framework for Arms Control and Disarmament (WIIS)
11. Blog: “Why Supporters of Democracy and Security Both Need to Care about Security Sector Governance” (JustSecurity)
12. Blog: “Revitalizing Progress for SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Inclusion” (IPI)
13. Blog: “Justice and the Rule of Law Key to African Security” (African Center for Strategic Studies)
14. Briefing: “COVID-19: The Impact on Terrorism & Extremism” (Strong Cities Network)
15. Report: The High Price of Using Justice Fines and Fees to Fund Government (Vera Institute of Justice)
16. Report: Gender Justice During and Beyond the COVID-19 Crisis: Institutional Responses to Gender-based Violence and the Role of Legal Empowerment Groups (Legal Empowerment Network, THEMIS — Gender, Justice and Human Rights, Association for the Emancipation, Solidarity and Equality of Women (ESE), Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), FIDA Uganda)