Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

The world is still a long way off from achieving the goal of peaceful, just and inclusive societies. Millions of people are still living in fragile and conflict affected states. At the end of 2019, 79.5 million people had been forcibly displaced worldwide, translating to 1% of the global population. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed inequalities, discrimination and has tested, weakened and even led to shattered rights and protection systems in countries.

Globally, around 437,000 people were victims of homicide in 2019. Lethal violence is, however, slowly decreasing and homicide rates declined from 6.3 victims per 100,000 population in 2015 to 5.9 in 2019. Two-thirds of total homicide victims are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean, with the former region not yet showing visible signs of decline.

The UN recorded at least 69,053 civilian deaths in 12 of the world’s deadliest armed conflicts between 2018 and 2020. In 2020, 5 civilians per 100,000 population were killed; one in seven of those deaths was a woman or child.

Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, violence against children was widespread, affecting children regardless of wealth or social status. In 77 (mostly low- and middle-income) countries with available data from 2012 to 2020, 8 in 10 children aged one to 14 years of age were subjected to some form of psychological aggression and/or physical punishment at home in the previous month.

In 2018, for every 10 victims of human trafficking detected globally, about five were adult women and two were girls. About one third of the overall detected victims were children. About 50% of the detected victims are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation and 38% for forced labour. The sharp increase in unemployment rates brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to increase trafficking in persons.

Globally, in 2019, the proportion of prisoners held in detention without being sentenced for a crime remained high at 31% of the total prison population, with no significant change since 2000.

Data available from more than 120 countries and territories show that people living in low-income countries are most exposed to bribery. The average prevalence rate of bribery in low-income countries is 37.6%, while high-income countries have an average prevalence rate of 7.2%, based on the latest data available in the period 2011 to 2020.

Globally, almost one in six businesses face requests for bribe payments by public officials, based on establishment-level data from 145 countries surveyed during 2006-2020.

Globally, 31.1% of parliamentarians are aged 45 or under, up from 28.1% in 2018. Male parliamentarians remain predominant in the leadership positions of Speaker and committee chair.

Based on data from 2010-2020, the births of around one in four children under age 5 worldwide had never been officially recorded. Only 45% of all children under five in subSaharan Africa had their births registered.

In 2020, the UN tracked 331 killings of human rights defenders (an 18% increase from 2019) in 32 countries, and 19 enforced disappearances in 14 countries. Women comprised 13% of the victims killed, and 22% of those forcibly disappeared. Sixty-two journalists were killed in 2020, compared to 57 in 2019 (57 journalists), and 65% were killed in non-conflict countries.

As of February 2021, access to information laws have been adopted by 127 countries, however, implementation of these guarantees could be improved. The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down the pace, with no countries passing such legal guarantees in 2020, and a number of countries temporarily suspending existing guarantees. Nevertheless, many countries attempted to make data available concerning virus infections, contracting of emergency equipment, and allocation of rescue packages and relief financing.

In 2020, the number of independently functioning national human rights institutions (NHRIs) in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe increased by 3, bringing the proportion of countries that had successfully achieved compliance with the Paris Principles up to 42%. However, progress has stalled in Latin America and the Caribbean, Oceania, Western Asia, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, where no new independent NHRIs have been recognized or established since 2018.

Source: Advance unedited copy of 2021 report of the Secretary-General on Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals

Conflict, insecurity, weak institutions and limited access to justice remain a great threat to sustainable development. Millions of people have been deprived of their security, human rights and access to justice. In 2018, the number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict exceeded 70 million, the highest level recorded by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in nearly 70 years. The pandemic is potentially leading to an increase in social unrest and violence, which would greatly undermine the world’s ability to meet the targets of Goal 16.

The global rate of homicide per 100,000 persons slowly declined, from 6.8 to 5.9 to 5.8 per cent in 2000, 2015 and 2018, respectively, corresponding to approximately 440,000 victims of homicide, 81 per cent of whom were men and 19 per cent of whom were women. Latin America and the Caribbean (33 per cent) and sub-Saharan Africa (36 per cent) accounted for more than two thirds of homicide victims globally.

Violent forms of discipline targeted towards children were widespread. In 69 countries (mostly low- and middle-income ones) with available data from 2012 to 2019, nearly 8 in 10 children 1 to 14 years of age were subjected to some form of psychological aggression and/or physical punishment at home in the previous month.

Sexual violence is one of the most unsettling violations of children’s rights. In slightly more than one in four countries with comparable data from 2012 to 2019 (45 countries), at least 5 per cent of women between 18 and 29 years of age reported experiencing sexual violence in childhood.

Data from 2016 to 2018 show that the proportion of prisoners held in detention without being sentenced for a crime is 31 per cent, the same level as in 2005. Significant increases over the past three years were recorded in Asia and Oceania.

Data from 38 countries over the past decade suggest that high-income countries have the lowest prevalence of bribery (an average of 3.7 per cent), while lower-income countries bear the heaviest bribery burden when accessing public services (22.3 per cent).

Through the implementation of birth registration with proof of legal identity, children’s rights can be protected and universal access to justice and social services can be enabled. However, based on data from 2010 to 2019, the births of around one in four children under 5 years of age were never officially recorded. Fewer than half (44 per cent) of all children in sub-Saharan Africa under 5 years of age had their births registered.

In 2019, the United Nations tracked 357 killings (a decrease from 476 in 2018) and 30 enforced disappearances of human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists in 47 countries.

The number of countries with binding laws and policies giving individuals a right to obtain access to information held by public authorities (the right to information) has continued to rise, reaching 127 in 2019. At least 43 countries have adopted such guarantees in the past 10 years, 40 per cent of them in Africa.

In 2019, 40 per cent of countries had a national human rights institution that had successfully achieved compliance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles). Access to internationally recognized national human rights institutions, however, remains overdue in 78 countries, in particular in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa.

Source: Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, Report of the Secretary-General, https://undocs.org/en/E/2020/57

Advances in ending violence, promoting the rule of law, strengthening institutions and increasing access to justice are uneven and continue to deprive millions of their security, rights and opportunities and undermine the delivery of public services and broader economic development. Attacks on civil society are also holding back development progress. Renewed efforts are essential to move towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 16.

• The number of intentional homicides per 100,000 people increased from 6.0 in 2015 to 6.1 in 2017. This slight uptick was largely the result of an increase in the homicide rates in Latin America and the Caribbean and in some countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Various forms of violence against children persist. In 83 countries (mostly from developing regions) with recent data on the subject, nearly 8 in 10 children from 1 to 14 years of age were subjected to some form of psychological aggression and/or physical punishment at home. In all but seven of these countries, at least half of children experienced violent disciplinary methods. Sexual violence is perhaps the most disturbing of children’s rights violations. Based on the limited data available, in 14 of 46 countries with comparable data, at least 5 per cent of women between the ages of 18 and 29 experienced sexual intercourse or other sexual acts that were forced, physically or in other ways, for the first time before they were 18 years of age.
• There has been an overall increase in the detection of victims of trafficking in persons, which could reflect either a positive (enhanced efforts by authorities to identify victims) or negative (larger trafficking problem) development. In a departure from prior findings, recent data show that most trafficking victims were detected domestically: 58 per cent in 2016, up from 43 per cent in 2014. The vast majority (70 per cent) of detected victims of human trafficking were women and girls, most of whom were trafficked for sexual exploitation.
• The share of unsentenced detainees in the overall prison population has remained largely constant at 30 per cent in recent years. This occurred in a context where the total prison population grew in absolute values while remaining constant as a share of the total population.
• Killings of human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists are on the rise. From 2017 to 2018, the United Nations recorded and verified 431 killings across 41 countries. Every passing week saw at least eight people murdered at the front lines of efforts to build more inclusive and equal societies – a worrying increase from the previous average of one victim per day observed from 2015 to 2017. Ninety-nine journalists and bloggers were among the victims.
• Birth registration plays a primary role in ensuring individual rights and access to justice and social services. Even if many regions have reached universal or near universal birth registration, globally the average is just 73 per cent. Fewer than half (46 per cent) of all children under the age of 5 in sub-Saharan Africa have had their births registered.
• Binding laws and policies giving individuals a right to access information held by public authorities have been adopted by 125 countries, with at least 31 countries adopting such laws since 2013. Among the 123 countries for which data on the legal framework is available, 40 do not include the right to appeal to an independent administrative body, which has been assessed as key for the proper implementation of this right.
• The pace of progress to put in place national human rights institutions compliant with the Paris Principles must be accelerated. In 2018, a total of 39 per cent of all countries had in place an institution that was fully compliant with the internationally agreed standard, seven countries more than was the case in 2015. If growth continues at the same rate, by 2030 only a little over one half (54 per cent) of all countries worldwide will have compliant national human rights institutions.
• The difference between the approved and the implemented budget reflects a government’s ability to achieve development objectives, including delivering services to the public. Deviation between the approved and actual spending during the period 2006–2017 in 108 countries shows that actual spending was within plus or minus 5 per cent of the approved budget in about half of the countries. One out of 10 countries had a deviation of more than plus or minus 15 per cent. Almost half of low-income economies showed more than plus or minus 10 per cent deviation in budget execution.

Source: Report of the Secretary-General, Special edition: progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals

Many regions of the world continue to suffer untold horrors as a result of armed conflict or other forms of violence that occur within societies and at the domestic level. Advances in promoting the rule of law and access to justice are uneven. However, progress is being made in regulations to promote public access to information, albeit slowly, and in strengthening institutions upholding human rights at the national level.

• Nearly 8 in 10 children aged 1 to 14 years were subjected to some form of psychological aggression and/or physical punishment on a regular basis at home in 81 countries (primarily developing), according to available data from 2005 to 2017. In all but seven of these countries, more than half of children experienced violent forms of discipline.
• More than 570 different flows involving trafficking in persons were detected between 2012 and 2014, affecting all regions; many involved movement from lower-income to higher-income countries.
• In 2014, the majority of detected trafficking victims were women and girls (71 per cent), and about 28 per cent were children (20 per cent girls and 8 per cent boys). Over 90 per cent of victims detected were trafficked for sexual exploitation or forced labour.
• The proportion of prisoners held in detention without being sentenced for a crime remained almost constant in the last decade: from 32 per cent in 2003–2005 to 31 per cent in 2014–2016.
• Almost one in five firms worldwide report receiving at least one bribery payment request when engaged in regulatory or utility transactions.
• Globally, 73 per cent of children under 5 have had their births registered; the proportion is less than half (46 per cent) in sub-Saharan Africa.
• At least 1,019 human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists have been killed in 61 countries since 2015. This is equivalent to one person killed every day while working to inform the public and build a world free from fear and want.
• Freedom-of-information laws and policies have been adopted by 116 countries, with at least 25 countries doing so over the last five years. However, implementation remains a challenge.
• Since 1998, more than half of countries (116 of 197) have established a national human rights institution that has been peer reviewed for compliance with internationally agreed standards (the Paris Principles). However, only 75 of these countries have institutions that are fully compliant.

Source: Report of the Secretary-General, The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2018

Many regions of the world continue to suffer untold horrors as a result of armed conflict or other forms of violence that occur within societies and at the domestic level. Advances in promoting the rule of law and access to justice are uneven. However, progress is being made in regulations to promote public access to information, albeit slowly, and in strengthening institutions upholding human rights at the national level.

• Nearly 8 in 10 children aged 1 to 14 years were subjected to some form of psychological aggression and/or physical punishment on a regular basis at home in 81 countries (primarily developing), according to available data from 2005 to 2017. In all but seven of these countries, more than half of children experienced violent forms of discipline.
• More than 570 different flows involving trafficking in persons were detected between 2012 and 2014, affecting all regions; many involved movement from lower-income to higher-income countries.
• In 2014, the majority of detected trafficking victims were women and girls (71 per cent), and about 28 per cent were children (20 per cent girls and 8 per cent boys). Over 90 per cent of victims detected were trafficked for sexual exploitation or forced labour.
• The proportion of prisoners held in detention without being sentenced for a crime remained almost constant in the last decade: from 32 per cent in 2003–2005 to 31 per cent in 2014–2016.
• Almost one in five firms worldwide report receiving at least one bribery payment request when engaged in regulatory or utility transactions.
• Globally, 73 per cent of children under 5 have had their births registered; the proportion is less than half (46 per cent) in sub-Saharan Africa.
• At least 1,019 human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists have been killed in 61 countries since 2015. This is equivalent to one person killed every day while working to inform the public and build a world free from fear and want.
• Freedom-of-information laws and policies have been adopted by 116 countries, with at least 25 countries doing so over the last five years. However, implementation remains a challenge.
• Since 1998, more than half of countries (116 of 197) have established a national human rights institution that has been peer reviewed for compliance with internationally agreed standards (the Paris Principles). However, only 75 of these countries have institutions that are fully compliant.

Source: Report of the Secretary-General, The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2018

• Peace, justice and effective, accountable and inclusive institutions are at the core of sustainable development. Several regions have enjoyed increased and sustained levels of peace and security in recent decades. But many countries still face protracted armed conflict and violence, and far too many people struggle as a result of weak institutions and the lack of access to justice, information and other fundamental freedoms.
• The number of victims of intentional homicide worldwide remained relatively stable from 2008 to 2014. The worldwide number of victims of intentional homicide was estimated to be between 4.6 and 6.8 per 100,000 people in 2014, a slight decrease with respect to previous years. Yet during that period, the homicide rate in developing countries was twice that in developed countries, and increased in the least developed countries. Moreover, despite the lack of harmonized data, fatalities and injuries related to armed conflict appear to be increasing in some countries, causing unprecedented population displacements and enormous humanitarian needs.
• Various forms of violence against children are pervasive, including discipline that relies on physical punishment and psychological aggression. In all but 7 of 73 countries and areas with available survey data from 2005 to 2015, more than half of children between the ages of 1 and 14 were subjected to some form of psychological aggression and/or physical punishment at home. In Northern Africa, the share was more than 90 per cent.
• Globally, the share of girls and boys among victims of human trafficking (21 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively) peaked in 2011. By 2014, the figures had dropped to 18 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively, but were still almost twice the levels recorded for 2004.
• Sexual violence is one of the most unsettling of children’s rights violations. Yet underreporting and the lack of comparable data limit understanding of the full extent of the problem. Survey data from 31 low- and middle-income countries suggest that the proportion of women aged between 18 and 29 who experienced sexual violence for the first time before the age of 18 varies widely, ranging from zero to 16 per cent. Comparable data on the experiences of men are only available for five countries, but values are lower than those reported among women in the same countries.
• Progress with respect to the rule of law and access to justice is mixed. Globally, the proportion of people held in detention without sentencing decreased slightly, from 32 per cent of total detainees in 2003-2005 to 30 per cent in 2012-2014. However, the percentage for developing regions has consistently been more than two times that of developed regions. In Southern Asia, for instance, more than 2 out of 3 prisoners remained unsentenced in 2012-2014, despite some improvement over the data available for the period 2003 to 2005.
• Among victims of robbery, between one quarter and one half reported the crime to the police, in 27 countries with available data. The data suggest a significant gap in citizens’ access to and trust in authorities. Although official data on the prevalence of bribery are limited, figures from 19 countries indicate that the rate of prevalence of bribery may reach as high as 50 per cent among citizens who had contact with public officials, undermining trust in state institutions.
• Registering children at birth is a first step in securing recognition before the law and safeguarding individual rights and access to justice. Despite recent progress, the births of more than 1 in 4 children under the age of 5 worldwide have not been recorded. In sub-Saharan Africa, over half (54 per cent) of children have not been registered by their fifth birthday. Globally, children living in urban areas are around 1.5 times more likely to be registered than their rural counterparts. In most regions, birth registration rates tend to be highest among the richest 20 per cent of the population.
• Efforts are under way to make national and international institutions more effective, inclusive and transparent. Over the past 10 years, nearly two thirds of 144 countries with available data were able to plan their national budgets effectively (where final expenses remained within 10 per cent of original budgets). Voting rights assigned to various groups of countries in international institutions is one indication of inclusivity at the international level. For example, while developing countries account for 63 per cent of voting rights in the African Development Bank, this figure is only 35 per cent in the International Monetary Fund and 38 per cent in the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development of the World Bank Group.
• A free press is closely linked to access to information and the protection of human rights, but the trend in this regard is discouraging. The number of journalists killed increased from 65 in 2010 to 114 in 2015, despite the fact that, by 2013, 90 States had adopted laws on freedom of and/or access to information.
• The proportion of countries with national human rights institutions has doubled over the past 15 years, reaching 35.5 per cent by the end of 2015. The share of such institutions that are compliant with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (Paris Principles) (adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 48/134) was highest in developed regions (46 per cent) and in Latin America and the Caribbean (41 per cent).

Source: Report of the Secretary-General, "Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals", E/2016/75