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As the world approaches the final years of the 2030 Agenda, the commitments made three decades ago in Beijing and Copenhagen remain central to the aspirations of today.

This policy brief highlights why democracy is essential for achieving inclusive and sustainable social development and shared prosperity.

Every 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women reminds us that gender-based violence remains one of the most pervasive and devastating human rights violations globally. It affects women in every region, social group and political system.

Thirty years ago, the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration affirmed democracy as a cornerstone of people-centered social development. In 2025, as the world prepares for the World Social Summit in Doha, that vision is being revived with new urgency. The draft Doha Declaration reasserts democracy’s essential role in advancing social development—a recognition largely absent from recent UN texts. This renewed commitment offers a vital normative and political foundation, reminding the global community that meaningful progress depends on democratic governance and inclusive social development moving in tandem.

As democracy faces its deepest global challenges in decades — marked by rising authoritarianism, declining trust, and a weakened multilateral system — leaders from governments, multilateral institutions, civil society, and philanthropy convened at the Ford Foundation on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly to chart a renewed global democracy agenda.

Including youth in participatory decision-making, a vital element of democracy, is essential for reaching sustainable development, the 2030 Agenda, and the commitments in the Pact for the Future.

A decade after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, the latest analysis by International IDEA shows a concerning outlook for SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)—two critical enablers of the Sustainable Development Goals.

This paper reviews a decade of progress on Sustainable Development Goals 5 (Gender Equality) and 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), drawing on International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices. While there have been modest gains in areas such as women’s parliamentary representation and gender equality, overall progress remains slow and uneven.

The Beijing Declaration in 1995 recognized that gender equality is essential to democracy. Yet, 30 years later, progress remains uneven and at risk, with backlash against gender equality and democratic values threatening hard-won gains.

In 2025, the global community will mark the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the unanimous adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

The Beijing Declaration in 1995 recognized that gender equality is essential to democracy. Yet, 30 years after, progress remains uneven and at risk, with backlash against gender equality, and democratic values threatening hard-won gains.

In 1995, on the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations, governments worldwide took a significant step towards advancing equality, development, and peace for women and girls.

This week, like every September, heads of state are coming together at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and address the world through their speeches during the High-Level Week (HLW) General Debate (GD). The HLW provides the United Nations’ 193 member states with a platform to present their official position on international politics, the state of the world, and their domestic and foreign policy priorities. 

The Pact for the Future, set to be endorsed at the United Nations Summit of the Future on 22-23 September in New York, is a pivotal framework designed to address global challenges with a long-term vision extending beyond 2030. It includes two annexes: the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, focusing on digital governance and the rights of future generations. The Pact’s five broad focus areas include: sustainable development; international peace and security; science and technology; youth and future generations, and transforming global governance. This comprehensive framework is critical as it proposes reforms to global institutions like the UN, aiming to tackle issues such as climate change and peace and security amid increasing geopolitical tensions.

The United Nations (UN) and its 193 Member States marked a significant milestone in September 2015 with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, consisting of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) focusing on people, prosperity, peace and institutions, planet, and

SDG 16 focuses on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. This goal is increasingly recognized as pivotal in creating an environment conducive to achieving the 2030 Agenda, adopted by all members of the UN in 2015.

This Policy Paper explores the interlinkages between Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and the 2030 Agenda’s other Sustainable Development Goals.