Transformation from the ground up: Acting at local level

With at least 65 per cent of SDG targets linked to the work and mandates of local and regional governments, local action is a precondition for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. When adopting the 2030 Agenda, Governments pledged to work closely on implementation with regional and local authorities and subregional institutions, among others. In recent years, recognition of the essential role of local governments and actors has grown, as demonstrated by the Secretary-General in Our Common Agenda and in his 2023 report on Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, and as underscored by Member States in successive political declarations of the HLPF. At the 2023 SDG Summit, Member States adopted a political declaration emphasizing their determination to make all efforts to achieve SDGs by the target year of 2030 and to revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. In doing so, they emphasized their commitment to localize the SDGs and advance integrated planning and implementation at the local level.

In recent years, local and regional governments have increasingly been reviewing and reporting on their implementation of the SDGs through Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs). This global movement has “provided an unprecedented push towards localization,” bringing benefits in terms of, inter alia, sustainable development planning, inclusive and participatory governance, data innovation, and multilevel governance. Since the presentation of the first VLRs in 2018, an estimated 300 VLRs have been prepared by local and regional governments from all regions. Increasingly, Voluntary Local Reviews are also contributing to national level reporting, with a growing number of Voluntary National Reviews integrated their findings.

The present session will showcase successful local transformations and transitions to accelerate SDG implementation from local and regional level. It will discuss what enabled these and consider how local action can be expanded in all regions to accelerate progress towards all 17 SDGs.

Proposed guiding questions:

How have SDG localization efforts, including through the preparation of VLRs, led to advances in the implementation of sustainable development? Please share concrete examples from your local, regional or national context.
What transformations are being achieved at the local level to overcome crises and shift towards the full implementation of the SDGs in times of multiple crises? How can they be supported?
With six years remaining to achieve the SDGs within their timeframe, what guidance can you share, based on your own experience, on best approaches to accelerating implementation of the SDGs through localization? How can local governments and stakeholders that have advanced in SDG localization best share their experiences with others that may not yet have initiated this practice?
What is the role of local and regional governments and their associations in accelerating SDG progress?
What good practices and innovations can be shared in terms of increasing stakeholder engagement in local SDG implementation? How can local governments help to mobilize and empower people living in poverty, or marginalized communities, to engage in the design and governance of local action?
How can voluntary local reviews (VLR) contribute to SDG-based national planning and budgeting?

Chair:

H.E. Mr. Bob Rae, Vice President of ECOSOC (Canada)

Interactive panel discussion

Moderator:

Ms. Emilia Saiz, Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments

Panellists:

Bandiougou Diawara, President of the Regional Council of Nouakchott, MauritaniaKayes, Mali
Ms. Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)
Ms. Cielito Perez, Executive Director of the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR), Philippines (MGoS)

Lead Discussant: