Promoting progress on SDG 16 and SDG 5 as pathways to inclusive social development

The new SDG 16 Data Initiative¹ report clearly states that progress on peace, justice, and strong institutions is not just an isolated goal but a key driver of social development, gender equality, and overall sustainable development—and its stagnation and regression now risk undermining the entire SDG framework.

In 1995, world leaders agreed that equality, democratic governance, and social justice are essential for development. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action described gender equality as a human right and a prerequisite for sustainable development, while the Copenhagen Declaration highlighted democracy, the rule of law, and accountable institutions as key elements of social progress. These principles were later incorporated into the 2030 Agenda through SDG 5 on gender equality and SDG 16 on peace, justice, and strong institutions. These two goals are not only interconnected but also serve as enablers for the entire 2030 Agenda. 

Yet progress since the adoption of the SDGs in 2015 has been slow and uneven. Women’s representation in national parliaments has increased modestly, and legal protections for women’s rights have expanded in some countries. But these advances remain fragile and incomplete. More than 100 countries have never had a woman head their government, the gender pay gap persists worldwide, and violence against women remains pervasive, with one in three women experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. At the same time, many SDG 16 targets show stagnation or regression, including declines in the rule of law, shrinking civic space, weakening institutional transparency and accountability, and restrictions on fundamental freedoms.

The report underscores that SDG 16 is not simply one goal among many, but a cornerstone for the entire 2030 Agenda. Its targets, including justice, transparent institutions, political participation, access to information and fundamental rights, are closely aligned with the core tenets of democratic governance. When these principles erode, pathways toward people-centered social development narrow, reinforcing inequality and exclusion and undermining progress on SDG 5 and other goals.

A central finding of the report is the worldwide erosion of democracy and its direct implications for social development. Democracies, on average, perform significantly better than non-democracies on key indicators of equality, welfare and institutional integrity. The data show that democratic systems achieve up to 47 per cent higher levels of gender, economic and social group equality, provide nearly 30 per cent better basic welfare outcomes, and experience roughly half the levels of corruption seen in autocratic regimes (Chapter 4 / International IDEA). By contrast, among the dozens of countries without democratic elections, only a handful demonstrate strong social outcomes—and even fewer show meaningful gender equality. These cases are outliers, not the norm.

However, the report also cautions against assuming that democracy automatically delivers social progress. When democratically elected governments fail to reduce inequality, curb corruption or provide essential services, public trust erodes. This decline in trust weakens democratic legitimacy and fuels support for authoritarian alternatives. In democracies, institutional trust is closely tied to performance: citizens are more likely to trust institutions when the rule of law is strong, corruption is controlled and political stability is maintained. And when political institutions consistently underperform, public legitimacy declines, civic participation weakens, and the capacity for reform erodes (Chapter 3 / World Values Survey Association). Where these conditions falter, trust declines sharply. 

Violence, arms, and conflict present another formidable barrier to achieving SDG 16, gender equality, and broader social development (Additional Insights / Small Arms Survey). Over the past decade, violent conflicts have intensified, with the number of global conflicts roughly doubling in the last five years alone. Rising geopolitical tensions have coincided with unprecedented military expenditure, while civilian casualties, displacement and human rights abuses continue to increase. In conflict-ridden settings, the rule of law deteriorates, gender-based violence often increases and scarce public resources are diverted away from health, education and social protection.

Beyond armed conflict, other forms of violence—against women, journalists and political actors—also undermine progress. The report reveals that globally, only about 10.5 per cent of sexual violence cases are reported to authorities, reflecting deep mistrust in institutions, stigma and fear of retaliation (Chapter 7 / World Justice Project). Attacks on journalists reached record levels in 2024, with female journalists facing particularly severe threats online and offline (Chapter 6 / Global Forum for Media Development and Centre for Law and Democracy). These trends weaken accountability, silence marginalized voices and undermine democratic oversight.

Widening funding gaps are compounding these challenges even further. While military spending reached an estimated USD 2.7 trillion in 2024, official development assistance is projected to decline significantly in the coming years (Chapter 2 / UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network). Civil society organizations, especially those representing women, minorities, and marginalized communities, are experiencing severe funding shortages, exacerbated by restrictive laws, fragmented aid systems, civil society organizations, especially those representing women, minorities and marginalized communities, are experiencing severe funding shortages, exacerbated by restrictive laws, fragmented aid systems and short-term financing frameworks (Chapter 1 / TAP Network). These cuts directly weaken the capacity of civil society to monitor SDG progress, provide services and hold institutions accountable.

The consequences of these funding gaps are profound. Diverting resources away from social priorities deepens global fragility, undermines multilateral cooperation and erodes the institutional trust necessary for peace and justice. Given the strong interlinkages between SDG 16 and all other SDGs, the report argues that increased and sustained investment in SDG 16 should be treated as a strategic priority for advancing gender equality and social development.

The report also underscores the ongoing exclusion of minority groups and marginalized populations as a threat to sustainable development (Chapter 5 / Results for Development). Women, migrants, youth, persons with disabilities, and people living in poverty encounter disproportionate obstacles to justice, access to information, and political participation. Legal reforms alone have not been enough to change deeply ingrained gender biases or discriminatory social norms, especially regarding women’s leadership and economic roles. Shrinking civic space and declining development funding have further worsened these barriers.

The findings deliver a clear warning and a call to action. Realizing the 2030 Agenda depends on revitalizing the commitments made 30 years ago on democracy, equality, justice and human dignity. SDG 16 is not a standalone goal; it is the foundation upon which sustainable development stands. Without strong institutions and inclusive governance, progress on gender equality and social development will remain unattained and fragile. The SDG 16 Data Initiative’s new report provides both the evidence and a clear pathway to ensure the promise of the 2030 Agenda is realized and not forgotten.

To learn more about these findings, download the report here.

¹ The SDG16 Data Initiative (SDG16DI), coordinated by International IDEA, is a consortium of 18 partner organizations with a shared goal to openly track the global commitments made on SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions. The Initiative provides non-official data on the implementation and monitoring of this vital goal, aiming to fill critical data gaps for SDG 16 —one of the SDGs with most data gaps. To this end, we include both global and complementary indicators, presented with official and non-official data, while identifying potential challenges in data quality, availability, and coverage that need to be addressed. The 2025 Annual Report contains contributions by the following SDG16DI partners: the Centre for Law and Democracy; the Global Forum for Media Development; the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA); Results for Development; the Small Arms Survey; the Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP) Network; the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network; the World Justice Project; and the World Values Survey Association. Guest contributors include the Africa Women Journalism Project.