In December 2024, representatives from local government associations and municipalities worldwide gathered in Berlin for a dialogue event on Sustainability Reporting and Voluntary Local Review. The Voluntary Local Review (VLR) is a globally recognized, flexible reporting tool that helps cities track and showcase their contributions to the 2030 Agenda.
At the event, some participants agreed to establish an open, low-threshold network titled Acceleration and Implementation of Voluntary Local and Subnational Reviews. Its main purpose is to create a platform for exchange among sustainability reporting experts – where members can present working approaches, share new results, and inspire one another with innovative practices. The group convenes regularly online, with speakers presenting their projects, challenges, and open questions on localizing the SDGs to a community of experts from diverse cities and local government associations.
On 25 September 2025, at 3 p.m. (CEST), representatives of local government associations and municipalities will meet again online to discuss further success stories and their insights.
Representatives of the City of Lusaka and the Local Government Association in Zambia will present the process of drafting their VLR. Thanks to the support of UN-ECA and UN-Habitat, the Lusaka City Council not only took stack of their SDG development, they also raised awareness about the SDGs on the local population.
Whereas the colleagues from Zambia will present the process of developing a VLR, a representative of the City of Niš will present their urban transition projects that followed the release of the VLR. Guided by the motto Releasing the VLR is not the end, but the beginning of a city’s transition, concrete projects will be presented, such as:
- The implementation of a urban planning monitoring system of SDG-related data
- New projects on urban connectivity and green infrastructure
- The development and awareness within the municipal administration
Following the presentations, an open group discussion will explore past and upcoming activities. With SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) as one of the focus SDGs for the High-Level Political Forum 2026, this will be a key opportunity to collect and reflect on crucial activities for SDG localization in the year ahead.
The event will be held in English. If you wish to take part, please register through the online registration link.
