Sdg16: Cirielli, should be our compass to improve trust between citizens and institutions

ROME, MAY 30 – Sustainable Development Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda should be “our compass to improve the trust between citizens and institutions, strengthen development, and counter the impunity of the powerful and oppressors,” the Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edmondo Cirielli, said today in Rome during the fourth Global Conference on the Implementation of Sdg 16, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

“We are behind in achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda due to the global challenges that the world has faced, but Italy is ready to do its part because together we can get back on track,” declared the Deputy Minister, noting that “war has destabilized the world order as we have known it for the past 70 years, and the pandemic, in many parts of the world, has exacerbated existing vulnerabilities and tested the resilience of public institutions.”

Cirielli noted that climate change and rising inflation are increasing inequalities between the global North and South and eroding trust in institutions. Therefore, “the rule of law, human rights, justice, and the fight against corruption, namely Sustainable Development Goal 16, must be our compass to improve the trust between citizens and institutions, strengthen development, and counter the impunity of the powerful and oppressors.”

The conference opened at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a message from the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, who stated that “the only path to a safer and more sustainable world is the implementation of the rule of law”. The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO). Tomorrow’s session, which will be opened by Minister Tajani and dedicated to food security and climate change, will see the participation of the Director-General of the FAO, Qu Dongyu, and the Executive Director of the WFP, Cindy McCain. (@OnuItalia)