We are proud to share the launch of the Justice for All report by the Task Force on Justice. It is a report which draws on research by the world’s leading justice organizations and experts. It makes the case for shifting from a model that provides justice only for the few, to one that delivers measurable improvements in justice for all.
Here’s why this report plays a monumental role in the justice world and for organisations working on sustainable development goal 16:
1. The global justice gap is understood in three dimensions. In total, 5.1 billion people – two-thirds of the world’s population – lack meaningful access to justice. Until recently, a lack of justice data obscured the scale of the failure to meet people’s justice needs, but more and better data has now become available.
2. The costs of injustice is framed as such: justice is often the missing link in national development strategies. Economies may perform strongly and health and education improve. But without justice, people will fail to reach their full potential and development will be precarious.
3. The benefits of investing in justice is proven by a growing body of evidence that demonstrates expenditure on people-centred justice can deliver a high return on investment. Increased justice reduces the risk of conflict and instability.
4. This report presents the first estimate of the cost of providing universal access to basic justice. Health and education have long had such benchmarks for investment, and the methodology used draws from experiences in those sectors
5. Preventing injustice is put into focus: Justice systems must prevent problems as well as working to resolve those that have already occurred.
6. Six areas account for most justice problems. By taking justice problems as a starting point, countries can design a better journey from that problem to a solution.
We hope these few takeaways we chose peak your interest in reading through this report. Take your time. It’s full of great insights.
We feel thankful to have been asked to make contributions to this report. (We made recommendations, shared data and justice innovation knowledge). In particular, concerning the potential for innovation to solve the justice gap, those findings were published in the report of the Innovation Working Group of the Task Force on Justice.
Say hello to the Task Force on Justice
The Task Force on Justice is an initiative of the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies. Together we have explored the delivery of the Agenda 2030 targets in a world where billions of people are not yet able to obtain justice.
In the past, justice reforms have often focused on institutions that are distant from people and fail to serve their needs. The Task Force proposes a different approach, putting people at the centre of justice systems and justice at the heart of sustainable development.
The UN Agenda 2030 and Justice For All
Justice is a thread that runs through all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Without increased justice, the world will not be able to end poverty, reduce inequality, reach those furthest behind first, create conditions for shared and sustainable prosperity, or promote peace and inclusion. At the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development lies a vision of a “just, equitable, tolerant, open and socially inclusive world in which the needs of the most vulnerable are met.”
Specifically, SDG16.3 promises to ensure equal access to justice for all by 2030. Other targets of SDG16 cover legal identity, injustices such as corruption and illicit financial flows, and the promotion of rights and gender equality.
