Justice for all in a complex society

Dr. Bertrand Ramcharan

By Dr Bertrand Ramcharan

In a previous offering, we suggested that UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, devoted to peace, inclusiveness and justice, provides a good framework for nation-building in a complex society such as Guyana. In this piece we look more closely at the justice dimension, drawing on a report, Justice for All,  by the Task Force on Justice, a group established by Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, which is based at the Centre on International Cooperation of New York University.

At the heart of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development lies a vision of a ‘just, equitable, tolerant, open and socially inclusive world in which the needs of the most vulnerable are met’. The Pathfinders Task Force emphasise that without increased justice, the world will not be able to end poverty, reduce inequality, reach those left behind, create conditions for shared and sustainable prosperity, or promote peace and inclusion.