The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) participated in the 2025 SDG 16 Conference held at UN Headquarters in New York under the theme “Advancing Peace, Justice and Institutions for Sustainable Development” on May 12, 2025. The conference convened global leaders and stakeholders from government, civil society, and multilateral organizations to assess progress and define next steps in delivering on Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) as a foundation for broader achievement of the 2030 Agenda. The event was co-hosted by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Permanent Mission of Italy, and the International Development Law Organization.
EHRC participated in an interactive panel titled “The way forward: Leveraging SDG 16 to accelerate progress on shared priorities in line with the Pact for the Future and other multilateral agreements.” The panel discussed the alignment of SDG 16 with ongoing global processes, including the High-Level Political Forum, the World Summit for Social Development, and the Financing for Development Conference.
EHRC’s Commissioner for Women, Children, Older Persons, and Disability Rights, Rigbe Gebrehawaria, emphasized the urgent need to eliminate legal and institutional barriers that prevent equal participation of marginalized groups. She called for disability-inclusive, gender-responsive, and age-sensitive reforms to ensure the full realization of SDG 16. Drawing from EHRC’s work in Ethiopia, she pointed to persistent challenges in access to justice for persons with disabilities and older women, particularly in conflict-affected areas.
Commissioner Rigbe highlighted EHRC’s active role in peacebuilding and national dialogue processes, advocating for the meaningful inclusion of women, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities in decision-making. She also stressed the importance of human rights education as a driver of accountability and social change.
National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are uniquely positioned to support SDG 16 implementation by generating independent, rights-based data and ensuring community participation. EHRC reaffirmed its commitment to supporting inclusive legal frameworks and governance systems that uphold justice, equality, and human dignity.
The Conference concluded with renewed commitments to strengthen partnerships and actions that accelerate progress toward peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.
