The role of institutions in peace and justice for achieving sustainable development goal 16 and societal sustainability

This article explores the relationship between Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) and institutions achieving societal sustainability. It highlights the crucial role of strong institutions in maintaining peace and justice, drawing upon social contract theory to explain their emergence. The study emphasizes the interconnectedness of SDG 16 with other SDGs, demonstrating that peace is a prerequisite for social and economic progress. Analyzing data from the Global Peace Index (GPI) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reports reveals a direct correlation between peace and the successful implementation of SDGs. The findings underscore that the fulfilling SDGs 16 is essential for achieving societal sustainability. It indicates that peace and sustainable development goals are directly proportional and shows that those countries doing well in SDG 16 also have good SDG rankings. The study has implications for the nations to build their global standards of the legal framework and institutions to promote human rights and encourage states to protect their people from violence. Social contract theory provides the significance of trust between government and its people, combating corruption and addressing the challenges associated with achieving SDG 16.