Overview

When adopting the 2030 Agenda, the member states of the United Nations (UN) committed to working closely with local and regional governments to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since 2015, cities, regions and their associations have been increasingly committed to tackling global social and environmental challenges in order to localise the SDGs on the ground.

On a voluntary basis, more and more municipalities are reporting on the implementation status in Voluntary Local Reviews (VLR) or Voluntary Sub-National Reviews (VSR) at regional level. These supplement the national reports (VNR) of the governments and are presented each year at the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF).

From 2 to 4 December 2024, 37 practitioners from 25 institutions and 15 countries met at the German Association of Cities in Berlin to share their experiences in reporting. For the first time, representatives of municipal associations met with their colleagues from city administrations at a Connective Cites dialogue event.

In addition to exchanging experiences on good practices and different approaches to reporting, the aim was also to harmonise VLRs and VSRs with each other and, in a further step, to use the reports to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs at local and regional level.

Keynotes

UN-Habitat Approach to SDG LOCALIZATION
In their presentation, Sophie Heuser and Telman Maharramov from the SDG Localisation and Local Governments Team, UN-Habitat, used concrete examples to describe how SDG localisation strengthens cooperation between the various levels of government, provided an insight into global developments on VLRs and referred to two support services offered by UN-Habitat: the ‘SDG Cities Global Initiative’ and the ‘Partnership Platform on Localizing the SDGs’. They also explained the methodology of ‘Action-oriented VLR’.

From Local Action to Global Advocacy: UCLG’s Support to VSRs, VLRs and Enhanced Multilevel Governance for Sustainable Development
Anna Calvete Moreno, Head of Research, UCLG, provided insights into the interaction between the global, national, regional and local levels in the context of sustainable development. UCLG, as an umbrella organisation of 25 global and regional networks, is the largest representation of local governments worldwide. While the 2030 Agenda was mainly adopted at national level, UCLG is now well represented at global level, for example through representation in the HLPF and the United Nations Future Summit. The VLRs presented in the HLPF certainly play a role here. VSRs should be used as a lever for the creation of VLRs. VSRs can take up the local perspective of VLRs, make them more visible and act as a link between the local and national levels. VSRs can also strengthen the ties between members within a city association and between associations. The UCLG supports the methodology of ‘action-oriented VLR’.

Building the Bridge and Future to 2030: Accelerating
SDG Implementation through VLRs and VSRs
Martin Tebogo Matlou, International Project Manager, South African Local Government Association (SALGA), explained how SALGA supports South African local governments in aligning their development efforts with the SDGs and adapting the global goals to local circumstances. In just eight months, ten municipalities were persuaded to draw up VLRs. SALGA provides support by mobilising financial support, advice, training, networking and public relations work. Challenges such as insufficient data, scarce funding and human resources as well as a low level of awareness of the SDGs had to be overcome.

Results

Five project ideas were developed as part of the action planning, which are to be implemented in the course of 2025:

Establishing a network to accelerate and implement VSR/VLR
The group of experts that came together at this dialogue event is to be established as a network, thus consolidating the exchange between the municipalities and city associations.

Establishment of an SDG information centre in Nis, Lviv, Cape Coast, Amman, uMhlathuze, Mityana and Albania
A ‘City Lab’ to promote knowledge exchange through the establishment of databases and capacity building and the involvement of interest groups.

Inclusion of the VLR in the medium-term development plan - APEKSI / alignment of the medium-term plan with the SDGs
The aim is to anchor the SDGs in the local development plans and thus mainstream them.

Creation of a first VSR in Germany
The group consisting of representatives from German cities and the German Association of Cities plans to draw up a first VSR based on existing VLRs in the near future and report to the Federal Government so that it can be included in the VNR and thus strengthen the local level in national reporting.

Preparation of a first VLR in Lusaka, Zambia
The group consists of experts who are fine-tuning their first VLR and working out the implementation steps for Lusaka as an example.
 

Connective Cities accompanies the implementation of the project ideas and supports the actors with various services.