SDG 16 and New Approaches to Address Inequalities (Round Table)

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’—is very often described as the ‘enabling goal’ for the 17 SDGs and the broader Agenda 2030.
This policy panel will consider the opportunities and challenges presented by SDG 16 for addressing inequalities in a globalized world. Speakers will address the following questions in a 10 minute presentation, before a facilitated dialogue

What are the opportunities and challenges presented by SDG16 in addressing inequalities?
How can researchers and policy-makers work effectively to support the implementation of SDG16 in a way that meets the aspirations of the 2030 Agenda?

Chair
Dr Sarah Lister, Director, UNDP’s Oslo Governance Centre Introduction to the panel and SDG16

Panellists:
Professor Ellen Lust, University of Gothenburg  importance of local governance in SDG16 debates

Professor Desmond O’Neill, Centre for Development and Environment, University of Oslo  a critical reflection on “the power of numbers” and what SDG16 might “do”

Mr  Ramesh Ramasamy, Department of Political Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka  a reflection on the challenges and opportunities of SDG16 in Sri Lanka

Dr Endre Stiansen, Senior Research and Policy Advisor, UNDP’s Oslo Governance Centre overview of the work of UNDP and the power of national  national multi-stakeholder monitoring and reporting mechanisms for supporting change and reducing inequalities.