Progressing National SDGs Implementation
An Independent Assessment of the Voluntary National Review Reports Submitted to the United Nations in 2019
-
Countries are more consistently following guidelines for Voluntary National Review (VNR) reports and providing information on most aspects of SDG implementation as the 2030 Agenda progresses.
-
Reporting suggests leaving no one behind is becoming a defining consideration in implementing the SDGs.
However, except for leaving no one behind, VNRs continue to pay limited attention to the transformative principles of the 2030 Agenda. -
While there is evidence of increased engagement with civil society, results are mixed. It is particularly concerning that countries remain silent on closing civic space and ongoing attacks on human rights defenders and environmentalists.
Key Messages
- Countries are more consistently following guidelines for Voluntary National Review (VNR) reports and providing information on most aspects of 2030 Agenda implementation.
- Reporting suggests that leaving no one behind is becoming a defining consideration in implementing the SDGs. However, except for leaving no one behind, VNRs continue to pay limited attention to the transformative principles of the 2030 Agenda.
- While there is evidence of increased engagement with civil society organizations, results are mixed. It is particularly concerning that countries remain silent on closing civic space globally and ongoing attacks on human rights defenders and environmentalists.
The fourth in a regular series of reports commissioned by civil society organizations, this report provides an independent analysis of the 47 English, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic Voluntary National Review (VNR) reports submitted in 2019 to the UN’s High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
Prepared by the Canadian Council for International Co-operation, the report identifies 10 key pillars that we believe are essential to the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It also recognizes emerging good practice and sets out a range of conclusions and recommendations with respect to how countries can both improve their implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and use the HLPF as an opportunity for mutual peer learning, knowledge exchange and support. Importantly, the review also provides a comparative assessment of how VNR reporting is evolving over time through a comparison of analysis of the VNRs in 2016, 2017 and 2018 with findings for 2019.
This year’s report showcases positive trends with respect to reporting on leaving no one behind and stakeholder engagement. However, it also underlines the continued silence by member states in Voluntary National Review reports on the closing of civic space and discusses how this impacts the ability of all stakeholders to engage and implement the sustainable development goals.
You might also be interested in
Moving Beyond GDP To Achieve The SDGs
World leaders increasingly believe it is time to move beyond gross domestic product (GDP) as the central measure of progress.
Moving Beyond GDP: A Stock-Flow Approach To Measuring Wellbeing For The G20
To achieve effective climate action, the G20 countries need to move urgently beyond GDP and use a comprehensive approach to assessing national progress.
Is it just the heat, or does the concept of 'uneconomic growth' make a lot more sense now?
Something to ponder if you’re stuck in one of the many places so hot now that sitting in a darkened room is recommended, giving you more time alone with your thoughts: are we paying the price for a big mistake?
Voluntary Local Reviews of Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals
A practical guide and resource list to help Canadian communities report on local progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.