Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions is all about creating a world where everyone feels safe and is treated fairly. This means building strong communities and governments that are fair and honest. It includes peace (not just absence of war, but feeling safe in your neighborhood and getting along with others), justice (everyone having a voice and being treated fairly), and strong institutions (having good rules and leaders who are fair and trustworthy).
Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions is all about creating a world where everyone feels safe and is treated fairly. This means building strong communities and governments that are fair and honest. It includes peace (not just absence of war, but feeling safe in your neighborhood and getting along with others), justice (everyone having a voice and being treated fairly), and strong institutions (having good rules and leaders who are fair and trustworthy).
Introduction to Goal 16
A curriculum designed for Goal 16 that inspires the values and competencies behind this mission for grades 5-12.
Featured Lesson: Creative Writing
Justice in Jest: Limericks for a Peaceful World
Dive into Goal 16 through the lens of creative writing. This lesson provides hands-on activities and creative exploration designed to bring the concepts to life for students.
Lessons
Musical Exploration
Explore Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels through musical exploration.
A Collaborative Canvas: Art for Peace
Explore Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels through art.
Justice in Jest: Limericks for a Peaceful World
Explore Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels through creative writing.
Finding Our Balance: A Global Goal 16 Movement & Dance Exploration
Explore Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels through dance/movement.
Our Shared Story: Devised Theater for Peace
Explore Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels through drama.
MUSICAL EXPLORATION
Explore Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels through music.
Sounds of Justice: Musical Mapping for a Peaceful World
Explore Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels through music.
These learning objectives are organized into five categories that together form a comprehensive approach to understanding and engaging with this goal.
Knowledge
- •
Identify and define what peace (e.g. feeling safe, getting along), justice (being fair), and strong institutions (e.g., good rules and leaders) mean in their community and the world.
(Cr1.1.MS, Cn10.1.MS) - •
Recognize that violence, injustice, and unfairness can create problems, and that peace and justice are things we all build together.
(Cn10.1.MS, Cn11.1.MS) - •
Understand that Global Goal 16 is about creating a world where everyone feels safe, is treated fairly, and has a voice.
(Cn10.1.MS, Cn11.1.MS)
Discourse
- •
Explore and describe how messages and ideas about peace, justice, and fairness are expressed through various art forms (visual art, creative writing, dance, drama, music) by reflecting on visuals, words, movement, sounds, and stories.
(Re7.1.MS, Re8.1.MS) - •
Participate in respectful discussions about conflicts and solutions, considering how different people's voices and ideas can help build a fair and peaceful community.
(Re9.1.MS, Cn11.1.MS) - •
Communicate their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas about Global Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions through creative expression in various artistic mediums.
(Cr3.1.MS)
Attitudes
- •
Develop empathy and compassion for individuals and communities who face unfairness or conflict, inspiring a personal desire to be part of the solution.
(Re8.1.MS, Cn10.1.MS) - •
Appreciate the fundamental importance of being fair, honest, and kind, and recognize their own role in contributing to a peaceful classroom and community.
(Cn11.1.MS) - •
Cultivate a sense of hope and empowerment, believing in their individual and collective ability to make a positive difference in building a more just and peaceful world.
(Re9.1.MS)
Capacity
- •
Develop critical thinking skills by observing and discussing how different artistic elements can represent challenges and solutions related to peace and justice.
(Re9.1.MS, Cn10.1.MS) - •
Practice collaboration and communication skills through engaging in group art projects, shared writing activities, and coordinated movement, drama, or musical performances to tell stories about peace and justice.
(Cr2.1.MS, Pr5.1.MS) - •
Develop creative expression skills through purposeful experimentation with diverse artistic mediums (visual art, creative writing, dance, drama, music) to communicate their understandings and feelings about peace, justice, and strong institutions.
(Cr3.1.MS)
Action
- •
Identify simple and age-appropriate actions they can take to promote peace, justice, and fairness in their daily lives, schools, and homes.
(Pr6.1.MS, Cn11.1.MS) - •
Participate in collaborative artistic projects that creatively express messages of hope and support for a more peaceful world.
(Cr3.1.MS, Pr6.1.MS) - •
Reflect on their personal role in contributing to a just and peaceful community, fostering a sense of responsible global citizenship.
(Re9.1.MS, Cn11.1.MS)
Empowering youth to become active agents of change in promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. Recognizing that even small, consistent actions, sparked by their creative explorations, can contribute to a larger global impact.
Taking Action Beyond the Classroom
Here are ways your students can extend their learning and apply their understanding of Global Goal 16 in their wider community and beyond.
Become Peace Storytellers: Choose a favorite piece created in the lessons, and share with family, friends, or local community groups (like a neighborhood association or community group). This allows them to use their art to tell a powerful story about why peace and justice matter for everyone.
Concrete Action: Aim to share their creative work related to Global Goal 16 with at least three people outside of school.
Fairness in My World Audit: Observe how fairnes relates to a peaceful and inclusive society on a personal level, perhaps during a game at recess, in a group project at school, or even at home with a sibling. Write a short limerick or create a simple drawing showing one instance of fairness or unfairness observed, and how it connects to Global Goal 16.
Concrete Action: Students create a short Fairness in My World observation, reflecting on fairness in their own lives.
Strong Institutions Role Play: Building on the exploration of effective institutions, create a short role-play with family or friends that highlights a simple rule or decision and shows how everyone's voice can be included to make it fair. This could be about a family rule, a school policy, or how a game is played.
Concrete Action: Students practice a short role-play with family members or friends, focusing on a rule and a fair and inclusive way to decide it.
Research a Peace Champion: Research a real person (from history or today) who has worked to promote peace, justice, or inclusivity, either locally or globally. This could be a community organizer, a civil rights activist, or a leader who brought people together. Write a short paragraph, create a drawing, or prepare a brief presentation about this Peace Champion, explaining how their actions connect to Global Goal 16. This helps to see real-world examples of impact and positive change.
Concrete Action: Students research and present one Peace Champion to share with family or the class.
Benchmarking Progress
A quick view of the official UN targets for this goal paired with the indicators that track global progress. Use these to connect classroom inquiry with real-world data.
Target 16.1
Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
Indicators
- 16.1.1
Number of victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population, by sex and age.
- 16.1.2
Conflict-related deaths per 100,000 population, by sex, age and cause.
- 16.1.3
Proportion of population subjected to (a) physical violence, (b) psychological violence and/or (c) sexual violence in the previous 12 months.
- 16.1.4
Proportion of population that feel safe walking alone around the area they live after dark.
Target 16.10
Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.
Indicators
- 16.10.1
Number of verified cases of killing, kidnapping, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention and torture of journalists, associated media personnel, trade unionists and human rights advocates in the previous 12 months.
- 16.10.2
Number of countries that adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information.
Target 16.2
End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
Indicators
- 16.2.1
Proportion of children aged 1-17 years who experienced any physical punishment and/or psychological aggression by caregivers in the past month.
- 16.2.2
Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population, by sex, age and form of exploitation.
- 16.2.3
Proportion of young women and men aged 18-29 years who experienced sexual violence by age 18.
Target 16.3
Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
Indicators
- 16.3.1
Proportion of victims of (a) physical, (b) psychological and/or (c) sexual violence in the previous 12 months who reported their victimization to competent authorities or other officially recognized conflict resolution mechanisms.
- 16.3.2
Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population.
- 16.3.3
Proportion of the population who have experienced a dispute in the past two years and who accessed a formal or informal dispute resolution mechanism, by type of mechanism.
Target 16.4
By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime.
Indicators
- 16.4.1
Total value and outward illicit financial flows (in current United States dollars).
- 16.4.2
Proportion of seized, found or surrendered arms whose illicit origin or context has been traced or established by a competent authority in line with international instruments.
Target 16.5
Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms.
Indicators
- 16.5.1
Proportion of persons who had at least one contact with a public official and who paid a bribe to a public official, or were asked for a bribe by those public officials, during the previous 12 months.
- 16.5.2
Proportion of businesses that had at least one contact with a public official and that paid a bribe to a public official, or were asked for a bribe by those public officials during the previous 12 months.
Target 16.6
Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
Indicators
- 16.6.1
Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget, by sector (or by budget codes or similar).
- 16.6.2
Proportion of population satisfied with their last experience of public services.
Target 16.7
Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
Indicators
- 16.7.1
Proportions of positions in national and local institutions, including (a) the legislatures; (b) the public service; and (c) the judiciary, compared to national distributions, by sex, age, persons with disabilities and population groups.
- 16.7.2
Proportion of population who believe decision-making is inclusive and responsive, by sex, age, disability and population group.
Target 16.8
Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance.
Indicators
- 16.8.1
Proportion of members and voting rights of developing countries in international organizations.
Target 16.9
By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration.
Indicators
- 16.9.1
Proportion of children under 5 years of age whose births have been registered with a civil authority, by age.
Target 16.a
Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.
Indicators
- 16.a.1
Existence of independent national human rights institutions in compliance with the Paris Principles.
Target 16.b
Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.
Indicators
- 16.b.1
Proportion of population reporting having personally felt discriminated against or harassed in the previous 12 months on the basis of a ground of discrimination prohibited under international human rights law.