On 7 May 2025 at 3 p.m., an international expert exchange on the topic “Voluntary Subnational Review (VSR)” took place online. Representatives from South Africa and Germany presented their respective efforts to localize the SDGs. The aim of a VSR is to provide a countrywide overview of the Sustainable Development Goals, taking into account the differences and strengths of each municipality.

The German Voluntary Local Government Review was presented by Dr. Bettina Bunk from the Department of External Relations of the State Capital Stuttgart, Ms. Verena Schwarte from the Office for International Affairs and Global Sustainability of the City of Bonn and Mr. Oliver Peters from the German Institute for Urban Affairs. The experts have shown that the Voluntary Subnational Review can be prepared in an agile and efficient manner, if the data is available. It is particularly important to have a set of national indicators to compare with the set of local indicators. This makes it possible to highlight the unique characteristics of each municipality while providing an overall picture.

Tebogo Matlou, International Project Manager at the South African Local Government Association, also showed how the VSR can be drafted in an agile and effective manner, provided that there is proper coordination and engagement of all actors. In South Africa, the VSR was drafted during the process of drafting ten Voluntary Local Reviews. This localization of the SDGs at multiple levels also allowed for the alignment of sustainable development policies at the national level, including with a view to the national Agenda 2063. The key to success in South Africa was the provision of a digital hub for monitoring the SDGs. With a standardized structure, it was possible to draft the various reports simultaneously.

Through this meeting, participants gained further inspiration on the localization of the SDGs. In particular, the dialogue made it clear that agile drafting of the VSR is possible if there is

• a set of common data to guide local administrations;
• a supra-municipal organization to coordinate the process;
• a digital platform to standardize data processing;
• the political will to represent one's municipality at the international level.

The meeting was made possible thanks to the willingness of a number of municipalities and associations, which joined forces with the aim of accelerating the implementation of the Voluntary and Subnational Review. By providing access to working models and presentations of results, the intention is to facilitate the process for all those who wish to draw up these sustainability reports.

For further information, please contact Francesco Schapira at francesco.schapira@engagment-global.de.