A-11: Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) and Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) of SDGs - Lessons for SDGs Acceleration
- Institutionalise Voluntary National Reviews
(VNRs) and Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) within national and local planning
systems so that findings directly inform policies and budget allocations. For
example, Bangladesh has begun linking its VNR outcomes to national SDG implementation
plans.
- Embed SDG monitoring indicators in
ministry-level planning and reporting cycles to ensure evidence-based
policymaking as practiced in Sri Lanka, where SDG data is integrated into
sectoral plans.
- Strengthen coordination between national and
local statistical offices to harmonise data collection and ensure consistency
across regions similar to Bhutan’s approach of kinking its national statistical
system with SDG monitoring frameworks.
- Localise SDG implementation by empowering
municipal governments to lead climate-resilient and inclusive urban development
seen in the Maldives, where local councils incorporate climate adaptation into
city planning.
- Establish national peer-learning platforms among
cities and provinces to exchange best practices from VLRs inspired by Japan’s
network of cities conducting joint SDG reviews.
- Prioritise scaling up high-impact, proven
projects over launching many small pilot initiatives to accelerate measurable
SDG progress, an approach reflected in Bangladesh’s focus on high-yield social
protection and green infrastructure programmes.
- Ensure inclusive and participatory review
processes that integrate perspectives of youth, women, and marginalised groups
as demonstrated in Nepal, where youth organisations co-develop local SDG
progress reports with municipalities.
- Enhance digital and data literacy at the local
level so that subnational authorities can collect, visualise, and analyse SDG
data effectively. Indonesia’s use of digital dashboards for local SDG tracking
offers a practical model.
- Build regional cooperation frameworks that
promote cross-border learning and capacity-building for VNR and VLR preparation,
for instance, ASEAN countries have started joint training and technical
exchanges on SDG reporting.
- Institutionalise follow-up
mechanisms to ensure that lessons from VNRs and VLRs translate into policy
adjustments and implementation roadmaps rather than static reports, a gap
identified in several South Asian countries’ review cycles
