In September 2015 world leaders met at the UN to adopt the Sustainable Devel­opment Goals (SDGs), forming the international development framework that replaces the former Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The seventeen proposed goals and associated targets are planned to run until 2030. Amongst them, Goal 16 focuses on peaceful and inclusive societies, access to jus­tice, and accountable institutions.

The inclusion of Goal 16 in the reflects the growing acceptance that issues related to peace, security, and good governance should play a role in the post-2015 development framework. This progress of a global agenda on peace and development has been possible thanks to the work of several processes, including the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development (GD), which calls for measurable reductions in the burden of armed violence that humankind faces.

The work undertaken by the Geneva Declaration Secretariat includes its major publication, the Global Burden of Armed Violence reports (2008, 2011, and forthcoming 2015) which takes an integrated approach to the complex and volatile dynamics of lethal violence around the world. The Global Burden of Armed Violence reports use 'violent deaths' as the main indicator for measuring and monitoring the scope and impact of armed violence globally, and refine a methodology for its collection and analysis.

Since the beginning of the initiative in 2006, the Geneva Declaration has always received a strong support from the Small Arms Survey on its 'measurability pillar'. In the SDGs negotiations framework, measuring armed violence is central for the development of clear targets and indicators. The measurability of these targets will be a crucial and guiding factor, and will support determining how well states fulfill their commitments.

On measuring violent deaths and illicit arms flows for Goal 16, the Small Arms Survey, with the support of the Geneva Declaration Secretariat, has published the following Research Notes:

• Luigi De Martino and David Atwood. 2015. Reducing Illicit Arms Flows and the New Development Agenda. Research Note No. 50, Armed Violence.
• Anna Alvazzi del Frate and Luigi De Martino. 2015. Every Body Counts: Measuring Violent Deaths. Research Note No. 49, Armed Violence.

 

Background

Since the beginning of 2013, the Secretariat of the Geneva Declaration participated in several international events that support peace and human security in the post-2015 development agenda. These include thematic consultations on violence and citizen security in Panama (February 2013) and Finland (March 2013), and expert meetings in Glen Cove (June 2013), Vienna (June 2013) and New York (September 2013). Furthermore, the Secretariat highlighted the issue in various fora and events including at the International Security Forum (ISF, April 2013), at which the GD made a presentation on “Security: The Next Millennium Development Goal?”; or at a side-event on “Peace, development and human security: toward new Millennium Development Goals?”. co-organized in Geneva on 23 May 2013 with the Permanent Missions of Finland, Panama, and Switzerland, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO).

Throughout 2014, the Geneva Declaration Secretariat jointly organized a series of five Regional Review Conferences (RRCs) in Guatemala, Switzerland, the Philippines, Morocco, and Kenya. The conferences were co-hosted by the host country, in partnership with the Government of with Switzerland and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The objectives were to not only review the implementation process of the GD in different regional contexts and strengthen the engagement of the signatory states to the GD, but to also gather support for the meaningful integration of  armed violence reduction in national and international development processes, including the post-2015 development agenda.