Solutions, Impact, and Bridge-Building in an Era of Transformation
In an era of rapid global change, the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies (Pathfinders) is a cross-regional and member state-led, multi-stakeholder coalition committed to advancing action on peace, justice, equality and inclusive institutions through the Sustainable Development Goals and beyond (SDG16+). It is convened by 46 governments, works with over 100 partners across civil society, the United Nations (UN), and regional and international organizations, and is hosted by the Center on International Cooperation at New York University.
What We Do
Working with member states and partners, Pathfinders provides research, policy, convening, and partnerships to advance action on SDG16+ at all levels of governance. More specifically, and through its four programs, Pathfinders:
- Supports evidence-based policy and implementation at regional, national, and subnational levels.
- Brings together leaders, reformers, and experts at all levels to share lessons learned and achieve results—often acting as a bridge between and across governments, civil society, local communities, and multilateral institutions.
- Utilizes key global intergovernmental processes and milestones to protect gains, amplify solutions, and highlight links between SDG16+ and other multilateral agendas.
Focused on people, Pathfinders’ theory of change rests on two dynamics: national results and international action are mutually reinforcing; and that governments, civil society and multilateral institutions need to work together for sustainable and strategic change.
Our History
Established in 2016 with the groundbreaking Roadmap for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies at its foundation, Pathfinders has shaped the global discourse on what it means to advance SDG16+, while supporting practical results at regional and country level with impact across sectors, from health and housing to green transitions and digitalization.
At the heart of its work are the three programs: Halving Global Violence, Justice for All, and Inequality and Exclusion, with cross-pillar engagement from the Global SDG16+ team.
Launched at different times, each program has loosely followed the same model:
Programs
Halving Global Violence
This team together communities of practice to address interlinked forms of violence and achieve SDG targets for peace. Spearheaded by the high-level Halving Global Violence (HGV) Task Force—a coalition of global leaders and experts committed to significantly reducing violence. Co-chaired by ministerial-level representatives from member states and advised by experts from international bodies, academia, and civil society, the Task Force aims to halve global violence by focusing on reducing violence outside of conflict zones, where it is most prevalent and offers the greatest return on investment.
Its flagship report, Beyond the Battlefields: Practical Strategies to Reduce Violence in our Homes, Streets, and Communities, highlights the prevalence of interpersonal violence, its human and economic costs, and actionable solutions to address it.
HGV also includes two initiatives that are making measurable progress towards our goal and actively saving lives with their work: Peace in Our Cities, a global network of city leaders and partners tackling urban violence in their communities, and the Gender Equality Network for Small Arms Control, comprised of women leaders from around the world representing multiple sectors advancing the implementation of gender-responsive small arms control.
Justice for All
Building on the Task Force on Justice’s flagship Justice for All report, this team aims to close the global justice gap by placing justice at the heart of sustainable development and people at the center of justice systems. It focuses on justice problems, preventing injustices, and enabling full participation in society and the economy. To implement the guidance of the Justice for All report, a group of countries joined forces with intergovernmental organizations and other partners to form the Justice Action Coalition (JAC), for which Pathfinders, alongside the UN Development Programme and in partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, serve as its Secretariat. The JAC aims to bolster political and financial support for people-centered justice and achieve measurable improvements in justice outcomes for people by 2030.
Alongside the JAC, this program has built a global people-centered justice movement, shaping the global narratives and policies at all levels through advocacy, peer exchange, data, and best practices. Regionally, the Ibero-American Alliance for Access to Justice and the African Alliance for People-Centered Justice unite governments, non-governmental organizations, and intergovernmental organizations to advance people-centered approaches and link them to multilateral efforts. Thematic programs at the intersection of justice and youth engagement, displaced populations, women, children, climate, conflict, and customary and informal justice showcase how access to justice can undergird the 2030 Agenda, ensure no one is left behind, and foster collaboration across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
Inequality and Exclusion
This team identifies practical and politically viable solutions to combat income, wealth, and group-based inequalities, which fuel economic, social, and political grievances and are exacerbated by divisive and polarizing narratives. Building on the flagship report, From Rhetoric to Action: Delivering Equality and Inclusion, the program continues to offer policy options drawing from partnerships with governments, academia, and civil society, as well as research on solutions and good practices. It also hosts the Inequality Solutions Portal, offering a collection of policies across sectors—from justice systems to renewable energy and tax reforms—drawing on experiences from dozens of countries and demonstrating that change is possible.
These initiatives support nationally driven approaches to renewing social contracts and achieving the equality and inclusion targets of the 2030 Agenda. The program regularly publishes cutting-edge research on the links between inequalities, polarization, and disinformation; as well as on specific areas such as just green transitions, housing and urban inequalities, tax cooperation and other relevant topics in the international inequality agenda. This program’s cross-regional coalition of countries calls for transformative action to address the causes of inequality, exclusion, and division, exploring the connections with the climate crisis, economic development, and inclusive policymaking.
Global SDG16+ Team
Working closely with the three other programs and across CIC, this team supports Pathfinders’ leadership in “keeping SDG16+ on the global agenda,” providing a trusted space for dialogue, exchange, and collaboration. From cross-regional convenings with member states at ambassadorial and expert levels to practical input for negotiations, high-level statements and publications, regular engagement across a myriad of partners, and bringing country-driven policies and approaches to global spaces, the team works to support government and multistakeholder action on SDG16+. This also includes SDG16+ mainstreaming with development partners and leveraging global events and partnerships for sustainable change.
As the world approaches 2030, the SDG16+ team continues to weave a “golden thread” between past and future milestones, reinforcing the central importance of SDG16+ to any global development agenda—as a goal and proven enabler of the SDGs and as a central to navigating crises, particularly amid the evolving global order.
