Statement on behalf of the Justice Action Coalition at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

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Thank you, Chair.

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Justice Action Coalition, a multi-stakeholder, cross-regional partnership of countries and organizations committed to advancing equal access to justice for all under SDG 16.3 and beyond.

The High-Level Political Forum meets at a defining moment. Inequality is deepening. International cooperation is fracturing. And billions of people, disproportionately the poorest and most vulnerable, are being left without the legal pathways they need to stand up for their rights and create opportunities.

The SDGs are the framework we have to change this reality. We must make them work.

Chair,

Justice is not a peripheral issue. It is like a connective tissue of sustainable development. 

When communities lack legal protection over water sources, the poorest pay the price.

When energy transition projects proceed without inclusive processes, including through free, prior and informed consent, they may risk creating social tension, conflict, delay and displacement.

When infrastructure investment advances without accessible grievance mechanisms, it excludes the very people it is meant to serve.

When industrial growth and innovation fail to be inclusive, they deepen economic divides, leaving marginalized communities without the tools to secure a just and equitable society.

And when urban growth outpaces legal tenure systems, cities fill with residents unable to secure their rights to housing, basic services, and meaningful participation in the decisions that shape their lives.

People-centered justice requires governments and communities to work together to close the gap between policy and practice, between what the SDGs promise and what people actually experience.

The investment case is unambiguous: one dollar invested in justice returns sixteen in reduced conflict costs.* Countries that uphold the rule of law grow faster and prove more resilient. 

Effective justice is not a luxury; it is essential public infrastructure and a smart development investment.

The Justice Action Coalition is working to translate this evidence into action. 

Bringing together governments, international organizations, civil society, and academia, we exchange best practices in justice service delivery, develop new and innovative approaches to people-centered justice reform, based on the full respect of human rights, and build the data and financing architecture that sustainable development requires.

Our new work on the links of justice with democracy, artificial intelligence, and inclusive governance reflects the interdependence at the heart of the 2030 Agenda.

To achieve the SDGs, we have to ensure equal access to justice for all as enshrined in SDG 16.3, and commit to an interlinked approach to the 2030 Agenda. We call on member states to:

• Use justice data and innovation to understand people's legal needs and assign resources accordingly;
• Encourage adequate and sustainable financing for justice in national budgets and in development assistance, including for frontline services;
• Place people in vulnerable situations at the center of policy design, and address systemic barriers to equal access to justice;
• Break down silos across water, land, energy, infrastructure, and urban policy, because justice needs rarely arrive alone; and
• Invest in partnerships that can design, test, and scale people-centered justice reforms, in accordance with domestic legal frameworks.

Equal access to justice is not only an outcome of sustainable development. It is one of the means by which sustainable development is achieved and upheld.

The Justice Action Coalition is ready to do its part.

We must act, and act now.

I thank you.

 
*Justice for All: Report of the Task Force on Justice (2019)