A/HRC/43/34 freedoms. Progress on Goal 16 could enable and accelerate progress on the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Conversely, stagnation in progress on Goal 16 would result in the increasing vulnerability and marginalization of those impacted by poor governance, and impede progress in other areas of the 2030 Agenda. Human rights and good governance were mutually reinforcing, since international human rights law provided for a set of standards to guide governance processes and assess performance outcomes. As such, good governance served as an indispensable condition for the full realization of human rights. Both were necessary to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies and to realize sustainable development. 8. He stressed that good governance required an independent and impartial judiciary, a free press, access to information, expansive civic space, effective efforts to combat corruption and the protection of anti-corruption actors and whistle-blowers. It also required diligent and responsive public servants, and an accountable private sector that undertook human rights due diligence. The seminar would provide the opportunity to identify governance challenges, and to exchange experiences and good practices to support good governance institutions and processes that were based upon and respectful of international human rights standards. 9. Mr. Soh described the 2030 Agenda as the most ambitious to-do list for humankind. He echoed former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who had stressed that effective, accountable and inclusive institutions were enablers of sustainable development (A/69/700). In order to attain Goal 16, genuinely inclusive multi-stakeholder partnerships would be required, whereby all stakeholders participated, worked and shared the benefits together. Greater stakeholder engagement was key to policy development, and it was particularly important to include the voices of the vulnerable and marginalized. 10. He stressed that without good governance at all levels of government, it would not be possible to fully realize human rights and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 16 was particularly relevant in that regard, as it enshrined the commitment 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. However, good systems required strengthening of the people’s capacity to participate, as they were the beneficiaries of good governance. III. Summary of the panel discussion 11. After the opening segment, the panellists delivered their presentations. Mr. Meuleman gave a presentation on the principles of responsive and effective governance for sustainable development. Ms. Silva spoke about the experience of UNDP in building capacity in support of good governance. Ms. Lindberg addressed the governance challenges of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and identifying governance mechanisms to address them. Mr. Kedzia presented the view of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on good governance, the Sustainable Development Goals and the realization of economic, social and cultural rights. A. Contributions of the panellists 12. Mr. Meuleman addressed the critical importance of responsive and effective governance for sustainable development, and the associated challenges. Governance was normative as it was based on a set of values. Three types of public governance styles could be combined to either undermine or support each other: (a) hierarchical, or top-down, governance; (b) network governance; and (c) market-style governance. Creating contextualized combinations of the three approaches could be identified as “metagovernance” or “governance of governance”. The Sustainable Development Goals were an example of “meta-policy” and, as such, required meta-governance. 13. Eleven principles had been identified by the Committee of Experts on Public Administration to secure effective governance for sustainable development, and had been endorsed by the Economic and Social Council in July 2018. They were rooted in Goal 16 3

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