Monitoring progress on SDG16 at the time of the pandemic

Launch of the SDG16 Data Initiative  Global Report 2020

Members of SDG 16 Data Initiative,  gathered on 12 November for the virtual launch of the fourth annual SDG16 Data Initiative Global Report to discuss and assess progress on the implementation of SDG16, on peaceful, just and strong institutions, at the time of the pandemic.

Bill Orme, on behalf of Global Forum for Media Development, pointed out the negative consequences of COVID-19 on independent information and human rights: “Governments have used the pandemic as a pretext to limit information,” and he provided examples of data regarding the global progress on the right to information, highlighting statistics related to freedom of press and violence against journalists around the world. While numbers show a decline in the number of deaths and imprisonments worldwide, those numbers don’t draw a fully accurate picture: less journalists have been killed in 2019, because less journalists are also going to dangerous zones of the world—which is a very problematic issue for independent information. “It’s not just about collecting data; it’s also about analysing it correctly.”

The SDG 16 Data Initiative, a consortium of 17 organisations dedicated to the implementation and open tracking of progress toward the SDG16 targets, has collectively established an online resource at www.sdg16.org that combines official and non-official data on SDG16 and produced a Global Report that seeks to present the current state on the advancement around SDG16.

As the result of this joint effort, the SDG16 Data Initiative presented its fourth annual Global Report, part of a series aimed at evaluating global progress on SDG16 both as a stand-alone goal and as an enabler for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. The Global Report provides governments, UN officials, civil society actors, the academia and other stakeholders with a resource to help understand progress on the SDG16 targets. It also provides an evidence base for identifying gaps in both the implementation and monitoring of SDG16, and for altering course to accelerate implementation where needed. In addition, by relying on both official data collected by National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and robust non-official data collected by civil society organisations and other institutions, the Global Report provides a holistic view of progress under each of the SDG16 targets, within the SDG16+ conceptual framework.

Read more detailed report from the the event here.