CONCEPT NOTE

High Level Consultation on the Roadmap for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies

Hosted by the governments of Brazil, Sierra Leone and Switzerland

Side Event at the High-level Political Forum 2017, 18 July, 1:15-2:30 p.m.

Conference Room 7, UNHQ

About the Pathfinders

In the 2030 Agenda, the world’s governments expressed their determination “to foster peaceful, just and

inclusive societies which are free from fear and violence.” They set ambitious targets for reducing all forms of

violence in all countries, for ensuring access to justice for all, and for building effective, accountable and

inclusive institutions.

In recent years, many countries have made significant progress on peace, access to justice and inclusive

institutions, but an analysis of the targets demonstrates that accelerating their delivery poses daunting

challenges. It is clear that these targets will only be delivered if countries design and implement evidence-

based approaches that bring together actors from governance, justice, rights, public health, education, social

welfare and other sectors, while building an alliance that spans government, civil society, and the private

sector. A universal and integrated perspective is essential, but one that also reaches the countries and people

who are most likely to be left behind.

Over the past year, the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, a group of member states,

international organizations, global partnerships, and other partners have begun to build the foundations and

alliances to turn the ambition of the SDG targets for peaceful, just and inclusive societies into reality. The

group, which is convened by the governments of Brazil, Sierra Leone and Switzerland, is developing a roadmap

for the delivery of the 2030 Agenda commitment to increasing peace, justice and inclusion.

The Roadmap

The roadmap has its roots in meetings of the Pathfinders at the High-level Political Forum and the High Level

Week of the General Assembly in 2016. It was explored in detail at a Pathfinders retreat, hosted by the group’s

convenors and by Canada, Qatar, South Korea, and Tunisia.

SDG16 is the main goal for “fostering peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are free from fear and

violence.” The roadmap, however, looks beyond SDG16 to 36 targets from seven other goals (SDG16+ - see

annex 1). It recognizes strong links with all goals, in line with the integrated nature of the 2030 Agenda.

The roadmap identifies three transformative strategies that will make a cross-cutting contribution to the

delivery of the sustainable development agenda. It sets out catalytic actions where there is strong potential to

accelerate delivery, and underlines the need for a strategic approach to data and evidence, exchange and

learning, finance, and advocacy and movement-building (see annex 2).

The roadmap will focus on the next five years, but the High-Level Political Forum in 2019 will be a key

milestone. At the 2019 HLPF, progress on SDG16 will be reviewed, while heads of state and government will

come together for the first time to see what progress has been made across the 2030 Agenda. By then, the

roadmap should have:

▪ Through its catalytic role, contributed to early results, both internationally and nationally, in terms of new

policies and programs.

▪ Built consensus behind the policies, approaches and programs that are most likely to lead to successful

implementation.

▪ Attracted tangible commitments to accelerating implementation of the SDG16+ targets, both

internationally and nationally.

▪ Been used as a focus for campaigning and movement-building that increased pressure to implement.

▪ Acted as a focus for making financing more strategic, and helped guide the generation of data and

evidence in ways that more effectively inform implementation.

▪ Been supported by a growing range of partners, and help them unite behind a shared agenda.

High Level Consultation on the Roadmap

This side event will demonstrate the progress made since the last High-level Political Forum. It will act as the

culmination of an intensive series of formal and informal consultations with member states and international

organizations in New York, Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna, Paris, and Washington DC. Draft versions of the roadmap

will also have been presented at the Global Conference on the 2030 Agenda in Timor-Leste, and the first

workshop of the Global Alliance on Reporting Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies in Argentina.

The co-conveners of the Pathfinders initiative will present a revised draft of the roadmap, alongside other

member states, international organizations, global partnerships, civil society and the private sector. They will

highlight their commitment to accelerating implementation of the targets for peaceful, just and inclusive

societies, drawing on the framework set out in the roadmap. The co-conveners will also outline plans for the

future of the group of Pathfinders to act as an action platform for the roadmap’s implementation.

The Deputy Secretary-General will be invited to reflect on the contribution the Pathfinders and roadmap can

make to ensuring the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Secretary-General’s

prevention platform. This would also offer her an opportunity to highlight her commitment to promoting

justice and inclusion at a time when polarization and exclusion are increasing challenges in many societies. The

President of the General Assembly will be invited to recognize the roadmap in strengthening momentum for

SDG implementation at the end of a year in his office under the theme The Sustainable Development Goals: A

Universal Push to Transform our World.

Ministerial speakers will reflect on the roadmap and make any suggestions for how it can be strengthened.

They will underline their commitment to implementation of the targets for peaceful, just and inclusive

societies. Participants will make further contributions and suggestions from the floor.

The side event will form part of a series of peaceful, just and inclusive societies at the High-level Political

Forum, demonstrating growing ambition and coherence, and strengthened partnerships.

Next Steps

In September, at the High-level week of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, the roadmap will be

formally launched at an event for heads of state and government, and for ministers. This event will build on

and formalize the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies initiative and will demonstrate

international and national commitment to delivering the targets for peace, justice and inclusion.

The High-level Political Forum and General Assembly events will mark the beginning of a year of disseminating

the roadmap at global, regional and national levels. The Pathfinders will hold an event at Annual Meetings of

the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, which will focus on national lessons and good

practice, and will outline the challenges of implementation for people, communities and countries most at risk

of being left behind. The roadmap will also be presented at Geneva Peace Week.

The objective will be to return to the High-level Political Forum in 2018 with concrete evidence of increased

commitments to implement the targets for peaceful, just and inclusive societies, and of strengthened

partnerships at all levels.

Participants

Co-convenors of the Pathfinders Initiative

▪ Minister of Finance, Sierra Leone

▪ Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Environment, Energy and Science and Technology, Brazil

▪ Ambassador and Special Envoy for Global Sustainable Development, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs,

Switzerland

Speakers

▪ Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed – video message

▪ Number of Ministerial Representatives and Heads of Delegations will speak to national experiences

(Argentina, Guatemala, Indonesia, Netherlands, Qatar, Sweden, Timor-Leste and UK), ensuring a regional

balance that reflects the universal nature of the SDG16+ roadmap.

▪ Civil society speaker

Annex 1: Targets for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies

Annex 2: Outline of the Roadmap for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies