Rebuilding Trust in a Time of Crisis: Taking a STAND for SDG16+

The latest iteration of the Rome Civil Society Declaration on SDG16+ is launched today, June 16th, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.  A joint delegation from the Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS) and the TAP Network: Transparency, Accountability and Participation for the 2030 Agenda presented today the Declaration during the SDG16 Conference co-organised by UN DESA, the Permanent Mission of Italy, and IDLO. 

Together with 225 contributing NGOs, we are pleased to present the 2026 Civil Society Declaration on SDG16+. Building on the foundations of previous editions, this year’s Declaration emerges at a time when the world today is increasingly shaped by a polycrisis, in which interconnected political, economic, climate, and governance shocks reinforce one another across borders, ultimately undermining progress on the 2030 Agenda as a whole. 

We see SDG16 as both an outcome and an enabler of the 2030 Agenda, and we argue that SDG16 offers a toolbox for navigating the current polycrisis by pursuing the building of more peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. SDG16 can serve as a framework for rebuilding trust, strengthening governance, and stabilising cooperation in a fragmented international order.

The STAND principles outlined in the Declaration serve as a critical framework and guidance in turning commitments into action across the five interconnected priorities of the Declaration. Each section of the Declaration presents a diagnosis of the current landscape alongside concrete, actionable recommendations for Member States, donors, the UN system, and civil society. 

Meaningful progress toward the 2030 Agenda depends on the commitments made by states, but also requires the multilateral system to create the political, financial, and institutional conditions for civil society and local actors to meaningfully participate in shaping and implementing solutions at all levels. Standing for SDG16+ is both a call to action for all stakeholders to stand for SDG16+ and for the broader vision of the 2030 Agenda.

The new declaration has already been endorsed by over 400 civil society organisations. Show your support by endorsing the 2026 Civil Society Declaration via the link here: Endorsement 2026 Civil Society Declaration on SDG16+