"To achieve the SDGs, the world community has agreed on a set of indicators to measure progress. This process has identified a range of indicators that tap critical aspects of the SDG Agenda, but for several of the goals, and perhaps particularly for SDG 16, the current crop of indicators still falls short of covering the full letter and spirit of the goals. Answering the specific call for such efforts set out in the Agenda 2030 Declaration, this voluntary supplemental indicator framework develops a set of SDG 16 indicators to better measure critical aspects of peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.

We draw on a range of international normative frameworks to inform the supplementary indicator framework, but put special emphasis on the Community of Democracies Warsaw Declaration.

SDG 16 will affect progress towards the other SDGs, and a supplemental indicator set for SDG 16 will therefore also supplement the other SDG indicators. In deciding between indicators, we rely on the following criteria: relevance, simplicity, feasibility and policy actionability.

For the development of the supplemental indicators, the Community of Democracies, with the technical assistance of Dr. Havard Nygard (Senior Researcher, Peace Research Institute Oslo), engaged in a consultative process convening a Group of Experts who provided key input and assisted in reviewing the proposed voluntary supplemental indicators for the 12 targets under Goal 16. Additionally, this process benefited from comments received on behalf of members of the Community of Democracies at two presentations made in Governing Council meetings.

This initiative was made possible thanks to the generous support of the governments of the United States, Sweden, and Japan."

To read the full guidance with voluntary supplemental indicators for Goal 16, click on the file below.

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