With the 2018 Geneva Peace Week under way, a new SIPRI film evaluates how far we have to go to achieve peace, justice and strong institutions in the world by 2030—one of the goals set by the United Nations in its sustainable development agenda set out in 2015.
Watch the film on the SIPRI YouTube channel here.
The film, which was produced as part of the SIPRI Searchlight series, highlights where there are positive signs of achieving peace while also providing warnings of where negative signals exist.
It has been produced ahead of a planned intensified focus on sustaining peace by UN agencies over the next year. In particular, the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at the UN in July 2019 will put Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 in the spotlight, as will a ministerial-level summit in September during the UN General Assembly. The film reinforces the need to devise ways to monitor progress in the search for peace.
There is a clear concern raised throughout the film that current global trends are working against peacebuilders, particularly with regard to reducing violence everywhere—one of the key targets of SDG 16.
The challenges explored include, but are not limited to: a lack of inclusion of populations in decision making, particularly youth globally; a lack of understanding of what causes structural violence; and the difficulty in convincing power holders to open up the political space.
The film is based on interviews recorded at the annual Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development, which brings together a range of viewpoints from different stakeholders in the peacebuilding community. This year the theme was ‘The Politics of Peace’.
About the Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development
The Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development has become a major meeting point for global dialogue on peace progress. Held annually, the Stockholm Forum is a dialogue-driven event that provides a neutral platform for interdisciplinary exchange among high-level experts from the peace and development communities through a series of workshops, plenary sessions, presentations and informal meetings. Watch this 8-minute film about the Forum.
About the Sustainable Development Goals
In September 2015, a new development agenda was enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals. With the aim of leaving no one behind, the 17 SDGs succeeded the work of the Millennium Development Goals as the world’s agenda for development for the next 15 years. SDG 16 aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
About SIPRI’s films
SIPRI produces a variety of videos to cater for different viewing preferences and serve as an alternative platform for providing insights on peace and security. Events are a core component of SIPRI’s outreach, and livestreams and recordings of SIPRI’s conferences and seminars are produced on a regular basis. Watch more films over at SIPRI's YouTube channel.