A/75/179 prospect for the worldwide eradication of torture and ill-treatment, as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or for the full realization of the Charter of the United Nations and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. VI. Recommendations 84. With a view to achieving the ambitions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including the eradication of torture and ill-treatment, the Special Rapporteur recommends that the preceding, science-based conclusions of the present report be incorporated into ongoing, policy-based global governance reform processes, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and, most notably, its Goal 16, aiming to build “peaceful and inclusive societies” that “provide access to justice for all” and “effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels”. 85. In line with contemporary scientific findings, States should acknowledge that all human beings, whether government officials, media representatives or the general public, have an innate tendency towards suppressing moral dilemmas and other unwelcome information through the largely unconscious processes of self-deception and denial. 86. Owing to the unconscious and compelling nature of such processes and their reinforcement through powerful group-based and system-justifying dynamics, which are prevalent in all cultures and all segments of society, those tendencies cannot be effectively mitigated through institutional self-control, but require systematic external oversight, both nationally and internationally, through independent monitoring mechanisms. 87. At the national level, all States should take rigorous measures towards mitigating generic patterns of denial throughout political, administrative, judicial and legislative processes of decision-making. In particular: (a) Regarding transparency, States should abolish, in principle, any secrecy or classification of executive, administrative, judicial, or legislative proceedings, negotiations and decisions. The confidentiality of public interest information for reasons of national security, law enforcement, data protection and personal privacy should be exceptional, should be applied restrictively, should exclude any form of immunity or impunity and, in each case, should require positive justification and independent, external verification (e.g., through ombudspersons); (b) Regarding accountability, States should guarantee prompt, independent, impartial and transparent investigations of alleged misconduct implicating any person acting on behalf of public authorities. Any misconduct of officials, including culpable failure to prevent, investigate or punish misconduct within their sphere of authority, should entail commensurate sanctions and full redress for injured parties; (c) Regarding the media, States should ensure that the media can freely and effectively act as the “fourth estate”, empowering the public by subjecting authorities to systematic scrutiny, independent from political, economic or corporate influence; (d) Regarding civil society, States should foster a proactive and diverse civil society and provide platforms and procedures through which the concerns voiced by human rights defenders can be effectively received and considered by State authorities; 24/25 20-09728