Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) are a process to monitor SDG achievement at the local level and powerful accelerators of the SDG localization process. UN-Habitat supports the development of action oriented VLRs that connect planning, financing, monitoring, and implementation of local implementation of the SDGs.

UN-Habitat’s strategic approach to VLRs connects the development of Voluntary Local Reviews with the Global Urban Monitoring Framework (GUMF) and action-oriented recommendations. VLRs hence become the building block of a long-term and transformative SDG localization process.

The project aims to support the pilot cities to develop VLRs by gradually strengthening the capacity for monitoring and reporting including, data collection, disaggregation, and analysis at local and national levels thought the piloting of the UMF. Furthermore, the development of VLRs will be based on a wide and robust participatory process where communities and territorial stakeholders are continuously involved.

Based on the analysis of findings, the VLRs will provide action-oriented recommendations for long-term strategies and planning.

Finally, the technical support to the development of the VLRs endeavors to inform the Voluntary National Reviews of the pilot countries, with the aim of creating coherence and efficiency through effective multilevel governance arrangements.

The project strives to be the launching point for further VLR development in the region and feed into the wider global SDG Localization movement.

Learn more about UN-Habitat’s comprehensive approach and methodology to VLRs for SDG localization

Building on the learning and capacity building offers of the partners of the project, national and local public officials in the pilot cities and countries of the project will be trained on the concepts and practices of SDG localization and multilevel governance. The project proposes a mixed approach to learning and capacity building, combining traditional in-person opportunities and self-paced online tools. 

Specifically, trainings will be based an updated edition of the SDG Localization Training Module 2 and the online Voluntary Local Review Massive Online Open Course , amongst other learning and capacity building tools. The experience of the pilot cities and countries will then be fed into an online VLR Builder Tool to facilitate access to the VLR process to all involved stakeholders, particularly ensuring inclusion of those with less resources and capacities. 

Explore and learn more about the learning and capacity building tools.

The project adopts an overarching multilevel governance approach, aiming to enhance the SDG delivery capacity of both national and local governments. The project’s approach builds on vertical, horizontal, and stakeholder engagement coordination mechanisms of multilevel governance.

A key component of this process is the connection between the Voluntary National Reviews and Voluntary Local National Reviews. The project aims to strengthening the local governments inputs to the nation SDG reporting and implementing mechanism but also encouraging national governments demonstrate the creation of enabling environments and empowering local governments to accelerate the SDGs.

The partners will facilitate the connection of the project activities with the main UN-led and intergovernmental processes for SDGs with the aim of scaling up the lesson learned and results of the project, while exposing local and national representatives to global debates and processes.

Sessions to present and discuss the VLR and SDG localization process as well as to facilitate exchanges with partners from around the globe will be organized in the context of the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, the UN-Habitat Assembly, and the High-Level Political Forum. In the second part of 2023, the SDG Summit, Urban October, and the Forum of Mayors will be the central events the project will focus on. The cities’ VLR process will be finally link to the World Urban Forum 12, taking place in March 2024 in Egypt.

Explore the dedicate page to see upcoming and past advocacy efforts.