The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) organized a series of interactive and online training workshops on measuring progress towards SDG 16 indicators in Asia.

The training focused on technical guidelines on how to measure the indicators and feature national experiences from the region. The main objectives of the training are:

• Strengthen technical capacities of national authorities to produce, analyse and disseminate relevant SDG 16 indicators;

• Strengthen the organisational framework and promote a “data community” among data producers and users for the exchange of experiences and challenges.

Background

Six years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Asia faces considerable challenges in monitoring targets in the areas of crime, violence, trafficking, access to justice, and the rule of law.

These targets are particularly relevant to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 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”), but also to Goals 3, 5, 11 and 15.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the value of measuring and monitoring; no strategy can be developed, and no measure implemented, without proper monitoring and evaluation systems.

Several countries in Asia have included SDG 16 in national development framework, recognizing the importance of addressing peace, justice and inclusion as part of sustainable development.

However, reporting progress on SDG 16 indicators has been a global challenge, particularly in Asia. Insufficient availability and quality of statistical information on SDG 16 remains a direct obstacle to implement the 2030 Agenda, as it prevents countries from generating effective evidence-based and public policies to respond to justice, security and governance challenges.

Target Audience - Who

All data producing institutions in the field of crime, justice, governance, human rights, non-discrimination or equality in Asia Member States are invited to participate. This includes representatives from national institutions such as National Statistical Offices, Police, Prosecution, Courts, Prisons, Ministries of Interior and Justice, National Human Rights Institutions, and other relevant entities.

SDG 16 Monitoring - What

These training webinars familiarizes stakeholders with concepts, international standards and methodological tools, as well as an understanding of the challenges required to measure SDG indicators related to violence prevention, strengthening criminal justice systems, prisons, access to justice, combating organized crime, illicit trafficking, corruption, preventing conflict-related deaths, protecting fundamental freedoms, inclusive and effective public institutions, promoting and enforcing non-discriminatory laws and policies.

Key SDG 16 methodological tools that will be discussed include: