The Sustainable Development Goals are falling behind, civil society groups warned in a declaration presented in New York ahead of the UN’s 2026 SDG16 Conference. Under the theme “Taking a STAND for SDG16+,” the document sets out five areas with related recommendations: strengthening civic space, democracy and civil society; transforming financing systems towards economic justice; advancing accountability, people-centred justice and the rule of law; nurturing peacebuilding through conflict, violence and atrocity prevention; and defending human rights, fundamental freedoms and inclusion.
Sustainable Development Goal 16 is the part of the UN’s agreed 2030 Agenda concerned with peace, justice and accountable institutions. The civil society declaration says progress on this goal remains significantly off track at a time when “multilateralism is under severe strain, trust in institutions is eroding, and the UN system is being pushed to adapt to new geopolitical and societal realities.”
The declaration points to conflict, authoritarianism, shrinking civic space, inequality and attacks on human rights as major global threats to peace, justice and inclusive institutions.
Prepared through consultations convened by the Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding and the Transparency, Accountability and Participation Network, the text urges governments and the UN system to reaffirm the key role of civil society, especially local and grassroots organisations, in implementing UN agendas. In the area of civic space and democracy, the declaration includes calls for the UN to make use of citizens’ assemblies, the possible creation of a parliamentary body at the UN and an International Civil Society Day established by the UN General Assembly.
The declaration builds on earlier civil society appeals on SDG16+, including last year’s warning that repression, conflict and the erosion of democratic protections threatened the entire 2030 Agenda.
Support for a “UN parliamentary body”
The declaration states that governments “hold a responsibility” to support reforms that make the United Nations more representative, participatory and democratic. Civil society leaders and parliamentarians welcomed the call for a UN parliamentary body, arguing that the world organization needs stronger democratic links to the people affected by its decisions.
For Mandeep Tiwana, Secretary-General of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, the proposal reflects the promise contained in the UN Charter’s opening words. “The UN was founded in the name of ‘We the Peoples.’ It is thus fitting that people should have direct representation at the UN through a Parliamentary Assembly. This will help bring the UN closer to local communities and ensure that decision making at the UN is grounded in people’s aspirations and is less bureaucratic and state-centric,” he said.
An important step toward a more people-centered, and legitimate UN
Andisiwe Kumbaca, a member of the South African National Assembly, said the declaration illustrates civil society’s continued push for a more representative UN. “This welcome declaration shows that civil society continues to lead the call for a more representative and participatory United Nations. A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly would help ensure that global decisions are informed not only by governments, but also by elected representatives who are accountable to their constituents. This would be an important step toward a more people-centered, and legitimate UN,” she noted.
The democratic rationale was also stressed by Don Davies, a Member of Parliament from Canada. “True democracy – and effective governance – requires a diversity of views, freely expressed. It also means representatives must reflect people, not administrations. It’s time the UN put these principles into better practice.Permitting parliamentary participation is a great way to start,” he stated.
Sebastian Roloff, a member of the German parliament, connected the proposal to accountability in global decision-making. “Parliaments belong wherever important public decisions are made, and the United Nations is no exception. As a member of the Bundestag, I support giving elected representatives a formal role at the UN. It makes global decisions more accountable to the people they affect.”
A wider UN reform agenda
Supporters also pointed to precedents in other international organisations. Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, who was a longtime member of the UK House of Commons and now serves as a life peer, said that “Both the Council of Europe and NATO have Parliamentary Assemblies where elected members can supervise and comment upon their work. The UN is an even more important international body but has no such body and the creation of one is long overdue.”
At a time of pressure on multilateralism, Fabian Molina, a member of the Swiss parliament, described a Parliamentary Assembly as a way to strengthen the UN. “At a time when multilateralism is under immense pressure, it is all the more important to consider how we can reform the United Nations in order to strengthen it. A Parliamentary Assembly would make the UN more democratic, more inclusive, and thus more resilient.“
The renewed call for a parliamentary body comes at a moment when governments consider measures as part of implementing the 2024 Pact for the Future and the Secretary-General’s UN80 reform initiative. Andreas Bummel, Executive Director of Democracy Without Borders, said both processes offer an opportunity to place democratic changes on the UN reform agenda if the political will existed.
Ivone Soares, a member of parliament from Mozambique, said UN reform should address democratic legitimacy, not only efficiency. “UN reform efforts should not be limited to making the organization more efficient. They should also strengthen its democratic legitimacy. A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly would give elected representatives a clear role in global deliberations and help bring citizens’ concerns to the forefront. This would be an important step toward renewing public confidence in multilateralism.”
“A UN parliamentary body has moved from visionary proposal to democratic necessity: the multilateral system cannot continue to function as a closed intergovernmental space if it is to retain public trust and deliver on its commitments,” commented Maiara Folly, Executive Director of the think tank Plataforma CIPÓ based in Brazil.
