Final report of the global Expert Group Meeting “Towards a new generation of Voluntary Local Reviews: Connecting VLRs and VNRs” held 23 and 24 February 2021, organized by UN-Habitat, UCLG and the support of Madrid City Council (Spain).

The SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Goal 11 is about all of these dimensions, with a specific focus on urban areas and settings. This synthesis report is the first publication showing the progress, challenges and opportunities of global monitoring of this Sustainable Development Goal.

UN-Habitat and UCLG joined forces to advance the global debate on the localization of the SDGs through the first ever edition of the VLR-VSR Days, held virtually between July 14 and July 16. This report overviews the sessions and their outcomes.

The World Cities Report 2020 shows that the intrinsic value of sustainable urbanization can and should be harnessed for the wellbeing of all. The Report provides evidence and policy analysis of the value of urbanization from an economic, social and environmental perspective, including the unquantifiable value that gives cities their unique character; and also explores the role of innovation and technology, local governments, targeted investments and the effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda in fostering the value of sustainable urbanization.