South Africa is in the process of completing its first National Report within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in addition to presenting its Voluntary National Review at the UN High Level Political Forum in New York in July. The University of Pretoria has over the past six months been working with Stats SA to contribute to South Africa’s reports. In this symposium, scholars who have been involved in the process from the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation (GovInn) and the Freedom from Violence programme based in the Law Faculty, will provide insights related to the first target of the Goal – aimed at significantly reducing all forms of violence.  The presentations will range from the interconnections with South Africa’s National Development Plan, its recent White Paper on Safety and Security, to broader interventions extending across the continent, exploring the possibilities for broader armed violence reduction in post-conflict societies, and some of the challenges posed by a particular form of peace-building initiative Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) initiatives.