The new EP Library Catalogue allows you to search the EP collection for:
- Journals, books and articles in paper or electronic format
- EPRS and Policy Department publications
Abstract by the author: As the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development enters its fifth year of implementation, it is opportune to ask how governance is understood and implemented around the world. In fact, one can go further to probe the extent to which governments are cognizant of the principles undergirding effective governance. This paper examines the ways in which governance has been operationalized by countries, major groups and other stakeholders since the first round of Voluntary National Reviews at the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) of 2016. It does this based on the qualitative overview of the Synthesis reports of Voluntary National Reviews (2016–2029), and the quantitative analysis of three SDG databases: Voluntary National Reviews, SDG Good Practices and the SDG Acceleration Actions. It starts with a literature review of the multidimensional concept of governance. The three databases are then scoped through a series of keywords associated with the SDG16 governance targets. It finds that although SDG 16 is catalytic to progress on all other SDGs, its governance dimension does not receive due focus. The article concludes with several action areas to mainstream the governance dimension of SDG16 in sustainable development.
Abstract by the authors: Billions of people around the world live at the margins – pushed or kept out, often in silence, without adequate protection of the law. Denied healthcare, citizenship or fair pay, those unprotected by the law have problems that are both real and relentless, impacting their ability to reap the benefits of sustainable development. Despite this crushing reality, access to justice is a bedrock principle undergirding human rights. Despite its centrality, justice was not explicitly included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This omission was corrected when the SDGs were adopted with a stand-alone goal on justice. While Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 was the result of years of political, strategic and scholarly work by human rights advocates, development practitioners and academics, its promise lies beyond the technocratic realms of development programming, by insisting that people's own experience of justice – and injustice – must remain at the center of efforts to assess progress toward a world where no one is ‘left behind’.
Abstract by the authors: It would be hard to fathom any Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) being achieved without either adequate human and financial resources and partnerships or institutions that are effective, inclusive and accountable. One would expect, therefore, that two of the most cross-cutting SDGs of the 2030 Agenda, SDG16 on Peace, justice and strong institutions and SDG17 on the Means of implementation and partnerships for development would receive ample attention in scholarly work and policy analysis. A quick overview of the literature reveals, however, that although SDG16 and SDG17 are examined quite extensively in and of themselves, linkages between the two seldom receive attention. This article attempts to fill in the gap by undertaking a preliminary comparative analysis of the targets of these two Goals. It asks if certain means of implementation included in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development (AAAA) and in SDG17 can address some of the governance challenges covered by SDG16 targets, and vice-versa. The overall aim of the paper is twofold: (i) to provide ideas on how a targeted focus on SDG16-SDG17 interactions can assist in mainstreaming the AAAA into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development[1], and (ii) to elucidate how a public administration focus can be instrumental in doing the latter and in interlinking SDG16 and SDG17.
Abstract by the author: This article initially analyses the theoretical possibility that the terms «rule of law» and «human rights» in the Treaty on European Union (TEU) can be analysed from the perspective of the Economic Analysis of Law (EAL). It then focuses on the economic principles underlying decision-making to appreciate, under that perspective, the choices made by States, both at the national and international level (which could also include the commitment to the SDGs). From there, the study is oriented more towards SDG 16 proposing, summarily, to denominate with the terms «horizontal» and «vertical» two different basic perceptions on its three main areas (peace, justice, and strong institutions) and tentatively uncovering their possible impacts on the rule of law and the rights and freedoms of specific groups (e.g., LGBTQIA+ community, immigrants, refugees, etc.). It is suggested that, while the «horizontal perception» presents a socially inclusive role, the «vertical perception» tends to be more exclusionary. Seeking congruence with the above, it is also suggested that a biased perception of SDG 16 (associated with the «vertical» vision) could help authoritarian States in the exaltation of their nationalism, without forgetting that international public order, often wielded as an expression of national sovereignty, can serve as a «defensive shield» against alleged «attempts to alter» the fundamental values of the State and of the Christian roots of their societies. Simultaneously, observation of everyday political life seems to suggest that public order can be altered to the liking of populist political parties. The result seems to reveal a growing dichotomy between values (European vs. national), public orders (European, albeit incipient vs. international and domestic), and types of democracy (liberal vs. illiberal). As incidental and illustrative examples, the authoritarian drifts in Hungary and Poland are included in the study.
Abstract by the authors: The inclusion of peace as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 16) in the United Nations' Agenda 2030 underscores the interrelationships between peace, economic development, durable security, and promoting human rights. Within this context, tourism has been heralded by scholars and practitioners as a means to alleviate negative prejudice and improve human relations. Yet the existing research on tourism as peacebuilding shows little supportive evidence of tourism's contributory role to peace, and instead forwards numerous claims that tourism inhibits peacebuilding by exacerbating economic, political, and socio‐cultural inequalities between opposing groups. This study examines the role of tourism as a potential vehicle for justice that may bridge the gap between tourism and sustainable peace. More precisely, it considers tourism as an agent of justice addressing economic, political, and social inequalities between opposing groups through distributive, procedural, and restorative justice‐related activities. Its analysis and findings offer insights that contribute to peace‐through‐tourism theory and practice while enhancing understanding of tourism's contribution to the UN's sustainable development goals.
Abstract by the authors: Based on international public policy as an extension of national sovereignty, governments with authoritarian deviations are reforming their constitutions, criminal laws, etc. with the aim of preserving the inalienable values of their States and the Christian roots of their societies (traditional marriage and family model). For this purpose, basing on the vertical conception of SDG 16 (in which the areas of peace and justice are subordinated to the area of strong institutions), they seek to strengthen the state by gradually annulling its “disintegrating factors”: Muslim immigrants and refugees, members of the LGBTI community, leftist politicians, independent journalists and the EU itself (values, legislation and its incipient public policy). The research analyzes this problem affecting the family and its rights .
Abstract by the authors: We examine entrepreneurial ventures in a post-conflict context to identify practices that are helpful for companies operating in conflict zones while contributing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16)—Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. Using emancipatory entrepreneuring as our theoretical lens, we analyze entrepreneurial ventures where ex-combatants seek to create economic opportunities and challenge the status quo of violence, poverty, and inequality in their rural communities. We develop four qualitative case studies of ex-combatant entrepreneurship to identify the activities that enable them to grow their businesses while promoting peace. We identify actor distance and entrepreneurial stage as key dimensions for defining a matrix of relationship arrangements that facilitate venture success and peacebuilding efforts. We conclude with a summary of our contributions and implications for research and practice.
Abstract by the author: This article submits that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will serve as a complementary protection process to the ASEAN architecture on human rights. SDG 16—peace, justice and inclusive institutions—is especially pertinent to the advancement of human rights protection in Southeast Asia and is fundamental to the achievement of all other SDG goals. The lynchpin of this complementarity is the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), which must bridge all parts of the architecture. Complementarity stems from several factors. The SDGs, notably goal 16, created bridges with human rights obligations. ASEAN members resoundingly endorsed the SDGs, including SDG 16, which operates as a dialogue process that states are comfortable with. The SDGs fit with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, which emphasizes strengthening democracy, good governance, and the rule of law, the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and combating corruption to raise the standard of living within the region—all elements of SDG 16. ASEAN institutions under the ASEAN Charter are equipped to undertake preventive diplomacy to head off conflicts, a fundamental aim of SDG 16. The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights can lead on refining the eclectic SDG 16 indicators to better align them with international standards. SDG 16 commits all ASEAN states to creating national human rights institutions. The elaboration of Voluntary National Reports under the SDG monitoring process bears the potential for encouraging participation by stakeholders, especially civil society. Though a potential pitfall, securitization of the rule of law component of SDG 16 is consistent with ASEAN’s modus operandi. This article seeks to contribute to the nascent literature on the SDGs and SDG 16 in particular.
Abstract by the authors: Background: As two essential human rights, as well as pillars of sustainable development, health and peace are closely interrelated. Further, health and well-being are the focus of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, while peace lies at the heart of SDG 16. This paper investigates the relationship between the three concepts of health, peace and sustainable development in the relevant literature. Methods: This is a qualitative study. Following the establishment of the construct of peace and health through consultation with three key informants (one health sociologists, one high-ranking diplomat, and one health policy maker), we conducted a scoping review of the literature, followed by purposefully obtained grey literature, i.e. UN and country reports. As a result, 30 documents, including journal articles, were identified. We used content analysis to extract themes and categorize them in line with the relevant SDGs. Results: Lack of peace has direct and indirect impact on health, as well as health workers, the civil society, and the whole community who have in turn a critical role in creating peace. Strong and resilient health systems are essential in reaching out to citizens during war, while achieving SDGs would be impossible if SDG 16 is compromised. Health and peace are interchangeable, and achieving either is impossible without the other. Conclusion: Physicians and other human resources for health are the key actors in peaceful environment to attain health for all. In the absence of peace, the resilience of health system will be threatened and the hope for sustainable development may fade.
Abstract by the authors: Globally agreed goals such as the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are an aspiration of where countries would like to be developmentally by 2030. Breaking these goals down into 169 targets with associated measures of progress speak to hopes for change. But how well do these global SDGs, translated into national goals and targets respond to country specific circumstances and in particular the challenges faced by countries characterised more by conflict, political and economy instability and illicit economies than ‘sustainable development’? Taking the case of Afghanistan, this viewpoint questions the relevance of the national SDG 16 as it is currently framed to address the fractured political and geographical nature of Afghanistan‘s landscape, the challenges that the country faces and the normative assumptions about progress. The SDG 16 ignores the conundrums posed by Afghanistan's illicit drug borderland economies, implicitly subscribing to the view that this is simply a counter-narcotic issue. Such a view fails to address the transformative dimensions of the opium poppy economy that could be harnessed to SDG goals.
Abstract by the author: This paper makes a case for Gram Panchayats (or local self-governments) in rural Haryana to prevent violence and abuse against women in cross-regional marriages, and to promote inclusiveness. By using the notion of decentralization as the framework, the results of this research are based on a qualitative fieldwork conducted over two months in the Mahendragarh district, which included visits to seven villages, and interviews with women and village leaders. This paper attempts to answer the following research question: In what ways can strong local self-governments improve the social conditions for women and their children in cross-regional marriages in rural Haryana? Gram Panchayats are tasked with implementing Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which calls for developing inclusive and peaceful communities, ensuring that everyone has access to justice, and creating effective, inclusive institutions at all levels. The findings reveal that women, particularly those in cross-region marriages, are excluded from participating in Gram Panchayats, which have the potential to be the go-to institution for women in need of help. Women’s participation at all levels will increase the transparency and accountability of Gram Panchayats.
Abstract by the authors: The Constitution of Nepal considers the rule of law and justice as a significant component to realize democracy and development. [...] This article discusses Nepal’s progress on the global goal for access to justice and rule of law which is encapsulated in the Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and focuses on how justice reform approaches better support achieving the goal.
Table of contents – Subscribe to this service to receive in your mailbox the table of contents and full text access of specialised journals, such as Global Change, Peace & Security, Development Policy Review and African Development Review.
If you are unable to access the article you need, please contact us and we will get it for you as soon as possible.
| Data Protection Notice | Cookie Policy & Inventory |
 |
 |
 |
Journals on all devices |
Books, articles, EPRS publications & more |
Newspapers on all devices |