When reviewing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16 (to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels) it is important to ask whether each goal is an attempt to address systemic sociological problems by working to transform the ideals of which the problems are predicated, or whether it is merely a treatment of a symptom of the system originally creating the problem.
Sustainable development is a common goal for development initiatives but too frequently it lacks a clear definition or is used as a “buzz word” with little thought of how the problems manifest from within overarching systems. When reviewing the UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, it appears that the drivers are largely an attempt to shift priorities and transform the ideals of which the problems are predicated. This is important because a true shift in priorities and goals requires “a fundamental transformation of underlying values and attitudes” (Robinson, 2004) to treat the deeper sociological problems.
Sustainable development is inherently utilitarian, implying that simple institutional changes can reduce the social and environmental impacts of indefinite economic growth. It endeavors to modify social relationships without compromising on the quality of life provided by an industrial economy. Sustainable development in this way assumes that limits to growth can be overcome by increasing efficiency and reducing the throughput of energy and resources (getting more from less). In this sense, sustainable development is often seen as a way to treat only the symptoms of larger and deeper sociological problems (Robinson, 2004).
Many of the initiatives related to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 16 are in the early stages of development and results remain largely unknown; however, by identifying and addressing the root problem there is cause for optimism in the outcomes as these policies come to fruition.
Reference Material:
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg16
Robinson, J. (2004). Squaring the circle? Some thoughts on the idea of sustainable development. Ecological Economics 48: 369-384.
