Public demands for change often arise suddenly and can have lasting impacts. Political movements typically call for social justice, inclusion and environmental protection. Sustainable development is implicitely, if not explicitely, endorsed by such movements. Where the authorities respect civil liberties, a new movement fast becomes yet another facet of highly diversified civil-society activism. Where civil-society space is severely restricted, by contrast, demands for democracy and human rights take centre stage.
This focus section has bearings on the UN’s 16th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG): Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. It also relates to the other SDGs.
