Share your stories for the 2026 Voices of SDG16+ Campaign
Theme: “Evolving, Scaling, and Flourishing Amidst Crisis: Local Voices Transforming SDG16+"
Building on the success of previous campaigns, we are now pleased to announce the 2026 Voices of SDG16+ Campaign! In the context of the 2026 United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which will take place in July in New-York, this eighth edition of the Voices of SDG16+ campaign will be centred around the theme “Evolving, Scaling, and Flourishing Amidst Crisis: Local Voices Transforming SDG16+”. The 2026 Voices of SDG16+ Campaign is calling for video submissions that showcase innovative, locally-led, evidence-based, and practical and actionable solutions to the threats facing SDG16+ today. We also strongly encourage entries that explore the interlinkages between SDG16 and the other Sustainable Development Goals under review at the 2026 HLPF– namely SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11, and 17.
The 2026 Campaign
The current moment has brought significant challenges to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly for those working on SDG16+ (peace, justice, civic space, human rights, and accountable institutions) and its interlinkages across the agenda. Violent conflict is at record-breaking levels. In 2025, official development assistance (ODA) compared to 2024 decreased by 23.1 percent—the largest annual decrease on record. At the same time, military spending hit $2.63 trillion in 2025. Multilateral organizations, facing severe liquidity crises, are struggling as the world grows more multipolar. And authoritarianism continues to rise while civic space shrinks globally.
But in crisis, there is always an opportunity to adapt, transform, and meet the moment. Around the world, local civil society continues the work needed to implement SDG16+ and build more peaceful, just, and inclusive societies—even in the most challenging conditions imaginable. The 2026 Voices of SDG16+ Video Campaign will explore what these efforts look like in practice, illustrating why they are more important than ever and issuing a call to action for the international community to uplift and support local implementation of SDG16+.
The theme of the 2026 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will be “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for a sustainable future for all.” In 2027, the HLPF’s theme will be “Scaling up just transitions to achieving sustainable development, poverty eradication and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs.”
The 2026 Voices of SDG16+ Campaign is calling for video submissions that showcase innovative, locally-led, evidence-based, and practical and actionable solutions to the threats facing SDG16+ today. We also strongly encourage entries that explore the interlinkages between SDG16 and the other Sustainable Development Goals under review at the 2026 HLPF– namely SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11, and 17.
Deadline for submissions: June 11, 2026
Please read through the guidelines and selection criteria thoroughly below before submitting your video.
How can I contribute?
Individuals and partners from around the world are invited to submit short videos (three minutes) sharing their stories of best practices and extraordinary efforts to advance SDG16+ at the national and local levels. Given the challenging current landscape, this campaign will spotlight how civil society actors are evolving and scaling up new innovations to promote peace, justice, and inclusion in a fit-for-purpose way—and how more support from the international community could further strengthen that work and uplift the entire 2030 Agenda. The submitted stories should reflect on how local civil society—the lifeblood of progress on SDG16+—is changing and transforming amidst the geopolitical moment, marked by cuts to foreign assistance, rising military spending, increasing violent conflict, and attacks on civic space and human rights.
We welcome all types of video formats, recognizing that technical or resource limitations should not be a barrier to participation. Whether captured on a phone, in a community setting, or through a creative medium, what matters most is the story you tell.
The 2026 Voices campaign builds on the successes of previous years. Selected videos will be featured on a dedicated website and shared in the context of key side events throughout the 2026 HLPF and beyond.
Submission and Selection Guidelines & Criteria:
Stories can be told in English, French, Arabic or Spanish, and should ideally feature both challenges and successes in pursuing advancement of SDG16+ in context of the #2030Agenda.
If you are keen to tell a story in your work but don’t know where to start, we’ve compiled some helpful resources for you here.
Other guidelines include:
- Only entries submitted via the correct platform (see above) will be considered.
- The video must be no longer than three minutes. Entries that do not adhere to this will not qualify.
- If it is found that any entrant has knowingly provided false information, the entry will be disqualified.
- Include a brief written description supporting your video submission. By submitting an entry, you give permission for this information to be shared.
Before submitting your video, please make sure you have read the Terms of Reference below.
How to Submit
There is no need to use any professional equipment – videos can be shot on any standard smart phone. Entries should also:
- demonstrate how you have worked to achieve peace, justice, and inclusive institutions through action in your community, particularly with growing interlinked challenges (i.e. climate, peace, conflict) ;
- tell us and show us who is doing the work ;
- briefly explain (and if possible show) the context you are working in and challenges you face ;
- demonstrate what is being done to address these challenges, and how SDG16+ has helped in overcoming them ;
- mention how this action can continue in the future.
Please title video submission as: name of organization_video
Terms and Conditions and Disclaimer:
For more information on limitations and guidelines for this campaign, please be sure to read our full Terms and Conditions document on our website here.
Our Organizations
