Global leaders at UN SDG 16 conference warn rule of law is eroding and call for urgent financing and judicial independence

United Nations — Leaders and experts at the high‑level opening of the 2025 SDG 16 conference at the United Nations in New York said Friday that progress on Sustainable Development Goal 16 — peace, justice and strong institutions — is slipping and that renewed financing and stronger judicial independence are needed to reverse the trend.

Nearly a decade after world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda, Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary‑General of the United Nations, said in a prerecorded message that “progress on SDG 16 is dangerously off track,” and urged investment in institutions that are “inclusive and accountable.”

The warning framed a panel discussion titled “Stocktaking Progress on SDG 16: Assessing Achievements and Challenges,” in which a range of national officials, judicial leaders, research organizations and civil‑society representatives presented data and national examples and issued concrete recommendations.

Why it matters: SDG 16 is widely described by participants as an enabling goal whose failure undermines the broader 2030 Agenda. Panelists and speakers at the opening linked declines in the rule of law to rising conflict, rising displacement and…