• 14:00 – 14:30 CEST  |  Opening

• 14:30 – 15:30 CEST  |  Plenary Session 1.1 - Peaceful, just and inclusive societies in the times of COVID-19 and beyond

  Despite consensus that the symbiotic relationship between peace, justice and good governance embodied in SDG 16 is essential for achieving sustainable development, progress across SDG 16’s various dimensions has been uneven since the 2030 Agenda was adopted. The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated many of these negative trends and represents a profound challenge to humanity’s shared aspirations for a better future expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals. This session will attempt to provide a preliminary multi-stakeholder assessment of the pandemic's impact on progress on the three dimensions of SDG 16: peace and conflict, access to justice, and effective, accountable and transparent institutions. It will highlight the disproportionate impacts on those most at risk of being left behind who have borne the brunt of the crisis and will explore the implications of these trends for global progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

• 15:45 – 17:15 CEST  |  Plenary Session 1.2 - Enhancing resilience to shocks and crises: lessons learned from the pandemic

  The pandemic has exposed structural weaknesses including lack of government preparedness to handle such society-wide shocks; it has also revealed fault lines and entrenched inequalities that have wider implications for the realization of the 2030 Agenda. The response to the crisis has illustrated how key principles of SDG 16 such as transparency, accountability, participation and engagement can strengthen the capacity of communities and societies to withstand shocks and recover. The session will explore how challenges related to good governance and institutional capacity have hampered effective crisis response at both national and international levels. The discussion will aim to distill lessons from innovative governance processes that have emerged during the pandemic in this regard, in order to inform reflections on how to address societal inequalities and vulnerabilities and enhance the resilience of societies to various shocks, as a key component of building back better and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. 

• 17:35 – 19:05 CEST  |  Parallel Session 1.1 - Impact of the pandemic on peace and conflict

  Conflict and fragility pose one of the most significant challenges to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. Despite initial positive responses around the Secretary General’s call for a ceasefire at the outset of the pandemic, many conflicts have continued unabated. COVID-19 is generating further grievances and exacerbating existing fault lines in societies. Misinformation, stigmatization and hate speech in many countries have contributed to a growing sense of insecurity and compounded the effects of the pandemic. Senior UN officials have warned that the crisis is hindering diplomatic action and complicated peace-making efforts and disproportionately impacting on women, youth and other marginalized groups. The session will examine how the pandemic has interacted with existing conflict dynamics, governance challenges and their implications for progress towards SDG 16 and the 2030 Agenda. It will also look at approaches that help to sustain peace by addressing both pre-existing and emerging causes of conflict and violence, leveraging the COVID-19 response as a catalyst.​​

• 17:35 – 19:05 CEST  |  Parallel Session 1.2 - Lessons from the response of public institutions to the pandemic

  The pandemic has abruptly disrupted the regular functioning of public institutions such as parliaments and justice systems, and affected key government functions and processes, undermining the effectiveness of government action at the national and sub-national levels. The need to respond quickly and with drastic measures to manage the crisis has created an added burden of responsibility on public institutions and created additional risks for institutional processes and organizations. The capacity of public institutions to promote policy integration and policy coherence across all levels of government and engage with stakeholders in society has also been put to the test. Beyond individual institutions, the pandemic has affected whole institutional systems and the way public institutions interact with people, including by reshaping public participation and communication. Yet, public institutions and civil servants have responded forcefully to the crisis. They have adopted innovative ways of working and shown resilience and flexibility. This session will examine lessons from innovative tools and practices put in place by public institutions that have promoted people-centric solutions, services, and structures. It will examine the possibilities for building on institutional innovations during the pandemic, and enhancing capacities of public servants to foster transformative change in public administration in support of the 2030 Agenda.

• 17:35 – 19:05 CEST  |  Parallel Session 1.3 - Assessing and mitigating the impact of the pandemic on justice systems and justice seekers

  Even before COVID-19, approximately two-thirds of the world’s population lacked the ability to meaningfully access justice. While the business case for investing in justice is clear and compelling, allocations to the justice sector have declined in both national and development assistance budgets. Justice systems have been hard hit by the pandemic, as new restrictions on physical access to courts and tribunals have coincided with a sharp rise in the need for legal protection and services. This session will look at the effect of the pandemic on the justice sector, with an emphasis on access to justice for those most at risk of being left behind. It will share experiences of innovative practices on digital innovation, preventive justice and alternative dispute resolution employed by courts and practitioners across the world that can help advance access to justice for all, and accelerate progress on other dimensions of SDG 16 and the entire 2030 Agenda.

• 14:00 – 15:30 CEST  |  Plenary Session 2.1 - Implications of the pandemic for the relationship between citizens and the state

  Rebuilding peoples’ confidence in government was highlighted as a major challenge by global leaders in the UN 75th Anniversary Declaration. Discussions in this session will address some of the root causes of lack of trust in public institutions. They will encompass policies and measures at the national level, sustained by international cooperation, to ensure equity in distribution of public goods and delivery of services, with a focus on those most at risk of being left behind; to open space for participation and stakeholder engagement; to support adherence to constitutional frameworks and independence of judicial institutions; and to reinforce action to fight corruption.​​ 

• 15:45 – 17:15 CEST  |  Plenary Session 2.2 - Strengthening transparency, accountability and engagement during and beyond the pandemic

  Restrictions on movement and assembly around the world have limited access to the political space, working methods and processes of institutions such as parliaments and courts, potentially undermining legislative oversight and law-making. Public institutions have experimented with innovative methods to overcome these challenges. Research found that COVID-19 response plans have paid “little attention to governance- and corruption related matters.” However, oversight bodies such as supreme audit institutions have innovated in order to increase the transparency and accountability of governmental emergency responses as well as of rescue and recovery packages, which can pose risks to integrity and create opportunities for fraud and corruption. Transparency at all levels, from the local to the national, has emerged as a critical condition for successful responses to the pandemic. The session will examine how national accountability systems in a post-pandemic world can benefit from insights gained during the pandemic in terms of changing dynamics among stakeholders and the opening of new opportunities for collaboration. ​

• 17:35 – 19:05 CEST | Parallel Session 2.1 - The role of stakeholder engagement in responding to the pandemic and how to (...)

  The role of stakeholder engagement in responding to the pandemic and how to secure engagement in the future

  During the COVID-19 crisis the conduct of business of representative institutions, especially parliaments, has been challenged. Opportunities for public consultation and engagement were initially limited by the pandemic and the response measures adopted by governments to fight it. At the same time governments around the world have also experimented with new ways to collaborate with civil society, experts, the private sector and individuals to find creative solutions to challenges presented by COVID-19. In many countries, governments, civil society, citizens and the private sector are experimenting with innovative open government approaches to the pandemic. Participatory response strategies and engaging people in the co-creation of tools and solutions are some of the approaches used in different countries, both at national and local levels. Civil society around the world has mobilized and self-organized to provide a range of services and actions, with or without support from governments. This session will discuss the calls that have emerged for preserving civic space during and after the pandemic. It will take stock of successful practices in terms of engagement, collaboration and partnerships explored during the pandemic, and discuss possible ways to sustain the mobilization of individuals, communities and civil society organizations post-pandemic for delivering the SDGs.

• 17:35 – 19:05 CEST  |  Parallel Session 2.2 - Addressing corruption during and after COVID-19

  Corruption has hindered progress towards achieving the SDGs and has affected people’s trust in government long before the pandemic. During the pandemic, health systems have proven vulnerable to COVID-19-related corruption. Emergency responses as well as measures adopted by governments to limit the economic and social impacts of the pandemic, such as stimulus packages, have increased opportunities for fraud and corruption. Corruption risks have also increased at the local level. The mismanagement of public funds and other forms of corruption, particularly related to emergency spending, may further derail implementation of the Goals. During the 2020 United Nations General Assembly, world leaders included rampant corruption among the multiple crises exposed by the pandemic. This session will examine how COVID-19 response plans have paid attention to corruption-related matters, particularly in the context of an expansion of state power without adequate checks and balances. It will discuss the strides made by oversight institutions to increase transparency and accountability to prevent and address corruption, including in public procurement. It will also examine lessons from promoting coherent anti-corruption policies and strategies that take advantage of the synergies between different actors and tools, support institutional coordination, and advance more integrated approaches to monitoring.​

• 17:35 – 19:05 CEST  |  Parallel Session 2.3 - Building trust in governance through rule of law-based policymaking

  Respect for the rule of law and policy making based in the rule of law plays a crucial role in reinforcing public trust in governance. Effective rule of law frameworks ensure that the poor and marginalized are able to enjoy equal rights and are given space to participate in planning processes. They promote accountability by ensuring that individual actors and institutions execute agreed-upon processes and actions that lead to development gains. Adherence to the rule of law requires clear, prospective and publicly available laws that serve as checks and balances to ensure that emergency powers are exercised within the remits of law and not used arbitrarily or unfairly. The emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic has often suspended constitutional frameworks, amended administrative procedures, restricted public movement, limited opportunity for public participation in decision-making processes and for government oversight, which at times contributed to lack of confidence in governance at all levels. In some countries, elections have been postponed or disrupted. This session will explore how a rule of law-based approach to crisis response and recovery can serve as the basis to building trust in government and public institutions. It will share examples of how crisis responses can be aligned with national and international legal frameworks and how effective laws and policies can guide the recovery and promote accountable transparent and participatory governance.​

Day 3 - April 30 - Theme 3: Turning challenges into opportunities: rethinking governance with SDG16 at its center