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 eroding public trust. They pressed for stronger budgets for justice systems, improved measurement, and more funding for local peacebuilding and justice providers.

Panel highlights and key proposals - Financial support for judiciaries: Filomena Mulu, Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Kenya, said judicial budgets remain inadequate and urged that governments secure judicial financial independence; she recommended an international benchmark of “at least 2.5 to 3% minimum allocation of national budgets for judiciaries.” - Global rule‑of‑law data: Daniela Barber, director of research at the World Justice Project, summarized findings from the 2024 Rule of Law Index showing a multi‑year decline. Barber said “the rule of law continued to weaken in a majority of countries measured,” and cited large numbers — including that 81 countries experienced declines in the most recent index period and that billions now live in countries where the rule of law has weakened since 2015. The data underpinned calls for better, disaggregated governance metrics. - Anti‑corruption and social justice measures: Brazil’s Attorney General described national anti‑corruption actions, legal reforms and initiatives aimed at reducing violent deaths and addressing racial inequality. He highlighted asset recovery and institutional capacity building as elements of Brazil’s approach. - Fragile and conflict‑affected states: Hilda da Costa, general secretary of the g7+ secretariat, urged country‑led reconciliation and long‑term, flexible international support for peacebuilding. She emphasized that “peace is not simply the absence of war” and that reconciliation and inclusive dialogue underpin durable peace. - Role of youth and women: Lynn Rose Gen, a youth peace leader from the Philippines, highlighted youth‑led initiatives that combine civic education and economic inclusion and the strategic use of social media to expand participation. - Organized crime, cybercrime and multilateral instruments: The UN Office on Drugs and Crime noted the adoption of the UN Convention against Cybercrime and said implementation will be a priority as technology drives new forms of exploitation.

Additional themes - Participants repeatedly emphasized that SDG 16 is a prerequisite for progress on other goals, from climate action to social protection. - Civil society representatives launched the 2025 Rome Civil Society Declaration (the Rome declaration) urging states, donors and multilateral institutions to reverse the diversion of resources from peacebuilding to military spending, safeguard civic space, and step up finance to local actors. - Several delegations reported national digital‑government or justice‑digitization reforms intended to improve transparency and service delivery; Kenya, for example, described nationwide e‑filing, virtual court hearings and a national court tracking dashboard rolled out since 2020–2024.

What was not decided: The session was a policy stocktaking and did not produce formal votes or binding resolutions. Speakers called for follow‑up across intergovernmental processes in 2025, including the Financing for Development Conference and the High‑Level Political Forum.

Looking ahead: Panelists urged concrete steps — expanded national budget allocations for justice, donor financing for grassroots justice and peacebuilding, better data systems, and inclusion of judiciaries in development finance discussions — as immediate priorities leading into major intergovernmental meetings later in 2025.