FOREWORD
We are at a critical juncture in history. The COVID-19 pandemic presents us with a stark choice: allow the impact of the crisis to result in less equal, poorer, more divided, and more violent societies; or deliver a people-centred recovery that will bolster our future. The choices we face demand moral courage, bold action, smart solutions, high ambitions, and recognition that solidarity is needed to br i ng us all the security and peace we want.
The Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies come together to demonstrate such leadership. Bringing together 39 UN member states with over 100 partners among international organizations, civil society, and the private sector, we are dedicated to raising the political ambition on peace, justice, and inclusion (SDG16+) and to speed up the delivery of the SDG16+ targets.
This Annual HLPF Publication reaffirms that peace, justice, and inclusion remain central to harnessing the political will, collective action, and economic investments needed during the pandemic response to achieve the 2030 Agenda. It identifies the agenda, windows of opportunity, and pillars of action that we should unite behind to achieve measurable progress by the SDG Summit in 2023. It also navigates a path beyond recovery towards 2030: to turn one of the greatest reversals of human development into a historic leap forward, with peace, justice, and inclusion as our compass.
This publication comes at a time when progress on both SDG 16 and 10 will be reviewed at the High-Level Political Forum in 2021, under the theme: “Sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that promotes the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.” It draws from several countries that have delivered Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) and new ambitious actions over the last year. It also builds on the Experts Group Meeting hosted by UN DESA in preparation for the HLPF thematic reviews.
We extend our gratitude to the Pathfinder partners that have contributed to the global movement for peace, justice, and i nclusion, most notably the SDG16+ Global Coalition co-led by Global Alliance for Reporting on SDG16+, 16+ Fo r um, TAP Network, and CSPPS, together with the Pathfinders.
