Agreeing to peace, justice, equality and inclusion as an integral part of a universal development agenda was a groundbreaking achievement. It is an advance that should not be forfeited.

The Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies is a multistakeholder coalition of UN member states and over 100 partners including the UN and other international organizations, civil society, and the private sector, working to accelerate the implementation of SDG targets for peace, justice, equality and inclusion (SDG16+). We work to keep the spotlight on and support SDG16+ at global and regional levels while assisting Member States with implementation nationally and locally through policy solutions and facilitating exchange on best practices. Our approach is fact-based and solutions-oriented and aims to build a strong network and leadership to drive progress on SDG16+, providing a platform for collaboration and exchange. The NYU’s Center on International Cooperation is the host and provides the secretariat for the coalition. 

Pathfinders adopted an ambitious Roadmap (2017 & 2019) which provides a shared vision for how SDG16+ can be delivered, identifying a limited number of high-profile ‘grand challenges’ that require sustained leadership and support if SDG16+ is to be achieved. In these areas, Pathfinders is raising ambition, setting policy and learning agendas, and delivering results through policy support and multistakeholder engagement, cross-regional convening, and partnerships at all levels.

The Grand Challenges are:

• The Pathfinders for Justice program builds on the work and recommendations of the Task Force on Justice and its landmark Justice for All report (2019), and aims to close the global justice gap and move from justice for the few to justice for all. To that end, it serves as the Justice Action Coalition Secretariat, a multi-stakeholder alliance of countries and organizations working to achieve measurable progress in justice outcomes for people and communities.
• The Grand Challenge on Inequality and Exclusion aims to support nationally-owned approaches that renew social contracts and deliver on the equality and inclusion targets of the 2030 Agenda. It identifies practical and politically viable solutions to combat income, wealth and group-based inequalities. The 2021 flagship report, From Rhetoric to Action: Delivering Equality and Inclusion, lays out a menu of policy options drawing from partnerships among government, academia, and civil society, as well as research on solutions and good practices (Inequality Solutions portal).
• The Grand Challenge on Halving Global Violence (HGV) aims to build political will and identify practical solutions to cut levels of violence in half by 2030. To that end, in 2021 Pathfinders launched the HGV Task Force, a convening of ministerial-level government officials, civil society leaders and experts committed to achieving significant progress on violence reduction. The Grand Challenge includes two flagship initiatives: Peace in Our Cities (PiOC), and the Gender Equality Network for Small Arms Control (GENSAC).

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