Dear Editor,
The recent Global Progress Report on Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peaceful, Just, and
Inclusive Societies (SDG 16), released by the United Nations Development Program, offers both
a warning and a call to action. Despite the global community’s commitments, not a single target
under SDG 16 is fully on track. Across the world, we see mounting attacks on journalists and
human rights defenders, increasing civic repression, and eroding public confidence in
democratic systems. In 2024 alone, a human rights defender or journalist was killed or
disappeared every 14 hours, and fewer than half of citizens worldwide believe they have any
real influence over government decisions.
For The Bahamas – as one of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) most vulnerable to the
impacts of climate change, and among the countries with the highest levels of wealth inequality
in the Caribbean – these findings carry profound meaning. Achieving SDG 16 is not only about
governance; it is about our survival and our shared future. Transparent, accountable, and
participatory institutions are the foundation that allows us to respond effectively to hurricanes;
to recover equitably from economic shocks; and to ensure that no Bahamian is left behind.
At the Organization for Responsible Governance (ORG), we believe that governance reform is
the bridge between aspiration and action. For nearly a decade, ORG has worked to make SDG
16 real in the lives of Bahamians through civic education, anti-corruption advocacy, and
inclusive policy dialogue. Our Active Citizens Bahamas, Be Clear Bahamas, and Freedom Schools
initiatives have empowered thousands of youth and adults alike to understand their rights and
responsibilities; to see how governance systems impact daily life; and to use their voices to
drive positive change in their communities.
We are equally proud of our advocacy for the full enactment and implementation of the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which remains one of the most vital tools for transparency
and citizen empowerment. Through our Policy Review Centre, public consultations, and
national dialogues, ORG continues to bridge the gap between citizens and policymakers;
thereby ensuring decisions about laws, policies, and budgets reflect the lived realities and
interests of the people most affected by them.
Our anti-corruption work, including Integrity Week held each December, advances this same
goal. ORG’s Integrated Framework for Anti-Corruption promotes cross-sector collaboration to
reduce corruption risks across The Bahamas. Alongside this, our advocacy for the Independent
Commission of Investigations, the Protected Disclosures Act, and reform of Public Disclosures
and Campaign Finance laws aims to create an environment where accountability and integrity
are not just lofty ideals, but enforced expectations.
We know that lasting progress depends on building the capacity of those who serve on the
frontlines of democracy: our not-for-profit and faith-based organizations. Through ORG’s NPO
Cluster Capacity Training Series, more than 190 civil society leaders have been trained in
fundraising, communications, monitoring and evaluation, financial reporting, and organizational
leadership—laying the groundwork for a stronger, more resilient local nonprofit sector. At the
same time, our national initiative, Map4Good Bahamas, is working to mobilize and connect
over 1,500 organizations across the country, helping the sector better coordinate its impact on
disaster response, climate change adaptation, and pressing social challenges that affect
communities throughout the archipelago.
Meanwhile, our newly launched Voter Education: Pathway to the Polls program marks a pivotal
and urgent step in bringing SDG 16 to life in The Bahamas. As the nation faces growing
inequality, political fatigue, and deepening distrust in institutions, empowering
citizens—especially first-time and Family Island voters—to understand how their vote shapes
governance and accountability has never been more essential. This is about participation as
well as protection—of our democracy, our voice, and our collective future. ORG is calling on
partners across every sector—government, private industry, media, and civil society—to join us
in expanding this effort, promoting voter education on a national level and ensuring that every
Bahamian has both the knowledge and confidence to engage meaningfully in the decisions that
define our country’s path forward.
Ultimately, the lesson of the UN’s global SDG 16 report is unmistakable: peace, justice, and
inclusion are not optional; they are the preconditions for progress on every other Sustainable
Development Goal. For The Bahamas, that means investing not only in physical resilience but in
democratic resilience. If we want to withstand the next storm, reduce inequality, and build a
fairer, more sustainable nation, we must first strengthen the institutions that hold us together.
At ORG, our optimism remains unshaken. We believe that Bahamians, when informed,
engaged, and empowered, can chart a path toward a more transparent, participatory, and just
society. The tides of authoritarianism and apathy are rising across the world, but in The
Bahamas, we still have the power to steer our own course.
Together, we can make SDG 16 not just a global goal, but a Bahamian reality.
