Open letter to Members of the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals: Effective targets to promote sustainable peace

On Friday 4 April 2014, the UN’s Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals will turn its attention to cluster area eight: Peaceful and non-violent societies, rule of law and capable institutions. Recalling the Rio Declaration’s statement that “Peace, development and environmental protection are interdependent and indivisible,” Saferworld welcomes the OWG’s decision to place these issues on the agenda for discussion.

Saferworld has been coordinating a process between a wide group of civil society organisations and experts in order to identify effective targets to promote peace as an outcome and enabler of sustainable development. Many of these targets fall under cluster area eight. At the same time, in order to address the root drivers of conflict and integrate peace across the framework, several targets will fall under other cluster areas.

This open letter to the OWG members includes this list of agreed targets for sustainable peace. The letter has been endorsed by 33 organisations that are directly or indirectly engaged in the fields of conflict prevention, violence reduction and peacebuilding in a range of countries.

“This open letter to the OWG members includes this list of agreed targets for sustainable peace.”

CSO statement