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 Purpose and aim of this Handbook

This is a handbook for countries in preparation of presenting

voluntary national reviews (VNRs). It should be read in conjunction
with the Secretary-General’s proposal for voluntary common
reporting guidelines for VNRs at the High-Level Political Forum
(HLPF). The Secretary-General’s guidelines are attached in the
handbook as Annex 2.

This handbook supplements the Secretary-General’s guidelines in

that it provides elementary building blocks and the basic, practical
information on the steps that countries may take when preparing
VNRs. It is not an exhaustive document. A range of other sources of
information may further assist countries, some of which are
indicated in the text.

This document has been updated to reflect new information and

dates.

Prepared and updated by DESA, November 2019

Foreword
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
adopted by all Member States of the United
Nations in September 2015, provide a visionary
roadmap for all countries and stakeholders to
strive for a world of sustainable prosperity, social
inclusion and equality while at the same time
preserving our planet and leaving no one behind. By no means is this
an easy mission. We need to undertake this journey together if we are
to succeed, learning from each other. Effective follow-up and review
of the 2030 Agenda through peer learning is essential for renewed
action and progress in achieving the ambitious and interlinked SDGs.
At the heart of this process are voluntary national reviews (VNRs),
which have become a critical component of the review and
implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
One hundred and forty-two VNRs have been presented at the High-
Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) since 2016,
with a further 51 due to be presented in 2020. This handbook, which
is produced by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs serving as the Secretariat of the HLPF, elaborates on the
Secretary-General's guidelines on VNRs and reflects four years of
shared experience in undertaking and supporting VNRs at the HLPF.
Prepared through a collaborative effort, the handbook provides
practical information on the steps that countries may take when
preparing a VNR. It explains in a practical way all stages in VNR
preparation - from communicating the intention, to organizing and
preparing the review, including its key building blocks and related
preparatory workshops, to presenting at the HLPF. As more countries
are presenting their VNRs for the second time, it also contains some
recommendations how to prepare subsequent VNRs.
As often emphasized, VNRs are not an end, but a means to exchange
experiences, identify challenges and accelerate implementation. In
that spirit, the handbook further proposes what to do after the VNR
presentation. It also contains two useful annexes to be used in
conjunction with the handbook: a checklist for VNR preparations and

i
the revised Secretary-General's proposal for voluntary common
reporting guidelines for VNRs.
Though it can hardly be expected to do full justice to all the richness
of the follow-up and review at the national level, I hope this handbook
will be a useful reference for countries undertaking the VNRs. It is
meant to be a tool to assist the countries in their journey to achieving
the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. It will be
further refined and updated as more experience and knowledge are
acquired along with the deepening of the VNR process including any
new guidance by the General Assembly based on its review of the
resolutions on the HLPF.

LIU Zhenmin
Under-Secretary-General

ii
Contents
Foreword .................................................................................................... i
A. Getting started: how to initiate a review ........................................ 1
Introduction .......................................................................................... 1
How to communicate the intention to conduct a VNR ....................... 4
B. Organisation and Preparation of the Review .................................. 6
C. Multi-stakeholder participation .................................................... 11
D. Key building blocks for preparing the review................................ 14
Ownership of the SDGs ...................................................................... 15
Incorporation of the SDGs into national frameworks....................... 18
Integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development .. 24
Leaving no one behind ....................................................................... 27
Institutional mechanisms ................................................................... 30
Structural issues ................................................................................. 34
Goals and targets................................................................................ 34
Means of implementation ................................................................. 36
Conclusion and next steps ................................................................. 39
Annexes .............................................................................................. 42
E. Monitoring and Review ................................................................. 42
F. Preparatory workshops and submission of VNRs ......................... 44
G. Presentation of the VNR at the HLPF ............................................ 47
H. After the presentation .................................................................. 51
Annex 1: VNR preparation checklist ....................................................... 53
Annex 2: Secretary-General’s Voluntary common reporting guidelines
for VNRs .................................................................................................. 56
 Handbook for preparation of Voluntary
National Reviews

A. Getting started: how to initiate a review

Introduction
Voluntary national reviews (VNRs) are part of the follow-up and review
of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As stated in paragraph
84 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, regular reviews in
the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) are to
be voluntary, state-led, undertaken by both developed and developing
countries, and provide a platform for partnerships, including through the
participation of major groups and other relevant stakeholders.1
VNRs make possible the sharing of experiences, including successes,
challenges and lessons learned, with a view to accelerating the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda. They are most meaningful when
they involve an inclusive, participatory, transparent and thorough review
process at the national and sub-national levels, when they are evidence-
based, produce tangible lessons and solutions, and when they are
followed by concrete action and collaboration that drives SDG
implementation. Four years into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda,
VNR can also be a useful tool to show progress in the implementation and
impact of policies and strategies that have been put in place. It is
especially important for countries presenting their second or third VNR
to show progress that has been made since their first VNR. They are
encouraged to address in particular those areas which they identified in
their previous VNR as challenging and not to repeat what has already
been presented in their previous VNR. The emphasis should be on
implementation and progress.

The process of carrying out the voluntary national review should not
be seen as separate from implementation of the SDGs. Rather than an
end in itself, the VNR is a process by which countries take stock of and
assess progress - and shortcomings - in implementation of the goals

1Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, GA

resolution 70/1. See also GA resolution 67/290, para 8, for more on the reviews and the
mandate of the HLPF.
1
 and targets. It can be useful in acting as a catalyser for the national
implementation of the SDGs and strengthening coordination and
whole-of-government and whole-of society approach. It can
strengthen monitoring and evaluation of the progress in the
implementation and identify areas where more help is needed. It can
also be a powerful communication tool to raise awareness in
government and society about the 2030 Agenda and SDG
implementation.

The VNRs are intended to track progress in implementing the 2030

Agenda, including the SDGs and targets, in all countries, in a manner that
respects their universal and integrated nature and all dimensions of
sustainable development. The principles guiding follow-up and review at
all levels, contained in paragraph 74, provide, among other things, that
reviews will be substantive, and knowledge based, as well as open,
inclusive, participatory and transparent for all people, with a particular
focus on the poorest, most vulnerable and those furthest behind.2
The HLPF meets annually in July for eight days under the auspices of the
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).3 Every four years the HLPF also
meets under the auspices of the UN General Assembly at the level of
heads of state and government. Accordingly, the HLPF met twice in 2019,
once in July under the auspices of ECOSOC and in September under the
auspices of the General Assembly, the “SDG Summit”. In 2020 the HLPF
will meet once, in July under the auspices of ECOSOC, when the VNRs will
be presented. Twenty-eight (28) countries conducting their first VNR will
present them during the three-day ministerial segment of the HLPF with
thirty (30) minutes allocated to each presenting country, while twenty
two (22) countries presenting their second VNR and one (1) country
presenting its third VNR will start presenting them on 13 July in a panel
format with twenty (20) minutes allocated to each presenting country4.

2 GA resolution 70/1, para. 74.

3 GA resolution 70/299.
4 By letter dated 12 September 2019, the President indicated that the list of 28

countries presenting on 14-16 July for the first time are: Austria, Barbados, Plurinational
State of Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic People's
Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Libya,
Malawi, Federated States of Micronesia, Mozambique, North Macedonia, Papua New
Guinea, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Syrian Arab Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine,
Uzbekistan, and Zambia. Twenty-two countries conducting their second reviews and 1
2
For the 2020 HLPF, the ministerial segment will be held from 14 to 16
July, at UNHQ in New York5.
These meetings of the HLPF are convened by the President of ECOSOC,
who is an ambassador and permanent representative of a Member State,
elected for a one-year term of office. The President convenes the HLPF
when it meets under the auspices of ECOSOC and as such approves the
programme of the HLPF, including the VNR presentations. The current
President of ECOSOC is Her Excellency Ms. Mona Juul, Ambassador and
Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations in New York.
She will chair the 2020 VNRs, with the help of four Vice-Presidents of the
Council.

One hundred and fifty-eight VNRs have been conducted (22 in 2016,
43 in 2017, 46 in 2018, and 47 in 2019) by 142 countries, with 15
countries having conducted more than one VNR. Their VNRs, and the
Main Messages, are available at:
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf. 51 countries will present
their VNRs in 2020.

Figure 1: Map showing the distribution of VNR countries 2016-2019

country conducting its third review, will present on 13 and 14 July 2020 during the last
day of the first week of the HLPF. and part of the 14 July. These countries are: Argentina,
Armenia, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Georgia,
Honduras, India, Kenya, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Samoa, Slovenia,
Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
5 Please see section G below.

3
The HLPF also carries out thematic reviews of progress on the SDGs,
including on cross-cutting issues.6 At the current session of the General
Assembly there will be a review of the resolutions on HLPF7 which will
decide the future programme of work of HLPF.
How to communicate the intention to conduct a VNR
Given that the President of ECOSOC convenes the HLPF, the practice is
for countries to notify the office of the President of the intention to
conduct a VNR. There is therefore no registration form or template. Once
a country has decided to carry out a review, the decision is
communicated to the President by means of a letter from the Permanent
Representative of the country concerned. For a sample, see below (Figure
2).
The President notifies countries of matters related to the VNRs by means
of letters addressed to their Permanent Missions in New York. In
September 2019, the President informed countries that the list of VNRs
for 2020 had been closed, with a total of 51 countries presenting at the
HLPF.8 Those that did not make it onto the list for 2020 were encouraged
to come forward for the subsequent years, with the understanding that
priority will be given to those countries presenting for the first time. A list
of volunteering countries for all years is available on the HLPF website.
H.E. [Name of Ambassador],
President of the Economic and Social Council,
United Nations

Excellency,
I refer to the [year] high-level political forum on sustainable
development (HLPF), to be convened under the auspices of the
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in July [year].
With reference to General Assembly resolution 70/1, I have
the honour to request that [Name of country] be inscribed on the list

6GA resolution 70/1, para. 85.

7GA resolutions 67/290 and 70/299
8 See note 4.

4
of countries participating in the voluntary national reviews (VNRs) to
take place at the [year] HLPF.
[Name of country] attaches great importance to the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda and looks forward to sharing
experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned.

I look forward to early acknowledgement of receipt of this letter.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

(Signed)
Figure 2: Sample text of letter communicating decision to conduct a VNR

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B. Organisation and Preparation of the Review
First and subsequent reviews
The review typically consists of several broad phases, with some
occurring at the same time. These include the following phases: initial
preparation and organisation; VNR preparation, including stakeholder
engagement; and HLPF presentation. The latter aspects are discussed
later in the document.
Second or third reviews will increasingly begin to predominate at future
HLPFs: at the 2020 HLPF, 22 countries are slated to carry out their second
VNR and 1 country its third VNR. Against this backdrop, the first report,
which often is a baseline assessment of the implementation of the 2030
Agenda, could be followed in subsequent reports by a summary and
analysis of initiatives and actions rolled out since the last VNR; how
challenges in implementation, including persistent challenges, were
overcome; a more in-depth coverage of good practices adopted or
followed by the country and lessons learned; and an analysis of new or
emerging issue. It might also contain description of a roadmap for
implementation and a financial framework.
Country examples

In 2016, Colombia presented its first Voluntary National Review. It

showed experiences of including SDGs into the National Development
Plans 2014-2018 and Territorial Development Plans 2016-2019,
creating intersectoral cooperation for the implementation of SDGs. In
this VNR, two years after, with the signing of the Peace Agreement, the
country reports that it is well on its path in implementing sustainable
development and this VNR shows national indicators, quantifiable
targets, institutional responsibilities, prioritization and sub-national
implementation through strengthening statistical system in order to
achieve SDGs.
From: the VNR of Colombia, 2019

Indonesia in its second 2019 VNR underlines that for the past two
years, lessons learned in the 2017 VNR serve as a reference to improve
the effectiveness and efficiency of Indonesia's national and
subnational policies. The data used in the 2019 report is mainly from
Statistics Indonesia and relevant ministries and agencies. Thus, for
6
 example it shows improvement of SDG 4 by saying that in 2015-2018,
adjusted net attendance rate at preprimary education increased from
79.4% to 83.3%, Gross Enrolment Rate at Junior Secondary School
increased from 91.17% to 91.52%, at Senior Secondary School
increased from 78.02% to 80.68% and Tertiary level increased from
25.26% to 30.19%.
From: the VNR of Indonesia, 2019

The experience of most VNR countries is that the preparation time is

very short. It is advisable to begin the process as early as possible,
drawing up a work plan that covers the main deliverables and
deadlines for the national preparatory process.

Consider the following when drawing up the work plan / roadmap for the
review:
 Develop a workplan / roadmap with key deliverables aligned
with the HLPF deadlines. Finalized workplans / roadmaps and
timelines should be broadly disseminated to government
partners and stakeholders. Plan around delivery of Main
Messages, 1 May 2020 and the VNR report, 12 June 2020, both
covered in greater detail in section F below. Audio / visual
materials need to be submitted to DESA by 19 June 2020.
 Coordination structure. An entity within the government needs
to be responsible for the overall coordination of the VNR. This
could be an existing body / institution or an ad hoc arrangement,
e.g. lead department / agency, or an integrated, inter-ministerial
group, coordinating office or committee. A small advisory group
could be considered to lead the process of writing of the VNR.
Collaboration with other relevant government ministries,
agencies and relevant stakeholders is needed in order to provide
information and data. In the interest of country ownership, it is
highly desirable that the drafting process is led by government in
all respects with the engagement from other stakeholders from
the very beginning of the process.

7
  Resources. Determine estimated costs of carrying out and
writing the review, as well as identify possible sources of funding,
as required. Costs may arise for organisation of stakeholder
consultations and meetings, travel of officials, production of the
review (editing, layout, translation), and preparation of audio-
visual material, including videos, for the VNR presentation at the
HLPF. Human and technical resources will need to be dedicated
to the VNR preparation.
 Scope of the VNR. It would be important that a VNR shows how
the VNR is part of the national implementation of the 2030
Agenda and the SDGs and indicate steps that the country intends
to take to accelerate their implementation as part of the decade
of action and delivery launched at the SDG Summit in September
2019. 9 . As VNRs are national reviews, the SG guidelines
encourage countries to report on the progress in relation to all
17 SDGs. Where priority goals have been identified nationally,
countries could cover those in greater depth. The report could
consider where the country is in the national planning cycle and
whether the national strategy or plan, legislation, budgets,
policies has been updated or aligned with the SDGs and how this
has helped national implementation including examining policy
coherence and interlinkages. The countries are encouraged to
be specific in identifying the main challenges and difficulties
experienced in implementing the SDGs as a whole and how they
foresee overcoming these barriers.
 Consider the candid inclusion of successes, challenges and
lessons learned in order to accelerate the implementation of the
2030 Agenda and identify areas where assistance is needed.
 Draft outline and information gathering. Draft a preliminary
outline and decide on length and structure of the review.
Experience suggests that it is helpful to set a page limit at the
beginning of the process. To gather inputs, prepare a list of
bodies and agencies that will be providing data and information
for the VNR. The national statistical office (NSO) and the relevant

9Political declaration of the high-level political forum on sustainable development

convened under the auspices of the General Assembly adopted on 15 October 2019
(https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/74/4)
8
 line ministries are of special importance, but there should also be
other contributors, e.g. academia and think tanks.
 Develop a stakeholder engagement plan. Identify key
stakeholders, methods of engagement and consider online and
other means through which stakeholder contributions could be
gathered. All sectors and levels of government, civil society,
private sector, trade unions, members of parliament and national
human rights institutions, should be considered (see Figure 4).
The identification of a focal point to liaise with stakeholders can
facilitate communication and follow up. It can also be considered
to establish a more institutionalized mechanism to engage
stakeholders, which can be used for future involvement in the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
 Data. Access to high quality, up-to-date, and disaggregated data
is vital for the VNR. Contacts with the national statistical office
and other providers of data should be part of the planning
process. If a statistical annex is included in the review, more
extensive statistics on progress can be included there.10 The UN
Open Data Hub could be a good resource if national data is not
available.
 Draw on existing reports. Use existing national platforms and
processes that could contribute to the VNR writing and analysis
process. Examples include:
o national frameworks such as national development plans and
national sustainable development strategies;
o reports submitted to international bodies, including human
rights mechanisms, such as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
and The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), other international
treaties and conventions, and other reports such as the
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) relating to the Paris
Agreement as well as reports to multilateral environmental
agreements;

10The global indicator framework was adopted by the General Assembly on 6 July 2017.
See https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators/indicators-list/
9
 o the SDG reports prepared at the national level together with the
United Nations Country Team (UNCT) and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) if available or applicable.
 Allocate time. Establish a process and a timeline for technical
editing as well as for a high-level review of the VNR and its Main
Messages. This should allow for the integration of contributions
from within government and other stakeholders. Also bear in
mind the production time and clearance process for audiovisual
materials focused on SDG implementation to be used during the
VNR presentation.

Figure 3: Elements for organisation and preparation of review

Tips:
 The Guidelines to Support Country Reporting on the
Sustainable Development Goals (2017) prepared by the United
Nations Development Group (UNDG) contain tools and
suggestions for preparing reviews at the national level, which
can be used in the preparation of the VNR. 11 There exists a

11Available at: https://undg.org/document/guidelines-to-support-country-reporting-on-

the-sustainable-development-goals/
10
 number of other web-based resources designed to assist and
support countries in SDG implementation.12
 Countries are encouraged to take advantage of the
opportunity to learn from the experiences of other countries.
The country examples provided below have been taken from
the 2019 VNRs, but countries can also use any of the VNRs as
a benchmark for their own preparations.
 Capacity building support is also available for countries. DESA
organises workshops for all participating VNR countries, which
are designed to facilitate peer learning about the VNR
preparations. They are discussed further below. Further
capacity development building support is available from the
UN system, including upon request from DESA by sending a
letter to the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social
Affairs requesting support.

C. Multi-stakeholder participation
One of the founding principles of the 2030 Agenda is the requirement for
all implementation and follow-up processes to be participatory and
inclusive, including all levels and sectors of government, civil society and
the private sector, members of parliament national human rights
institutions, among others. This participation and consultation build
wider societal ownership of the 2030 Agenda. The 2030 Agenda has a
revitalized partnership for sustainable development at its core, and
stakeholders are recognized as valuable partners in implementing the
goals and raising public awareness. Stakeholders have been actively
engaged throughout the process of design, implementation, monitoring
and review of the 2030 Agenda at all levels in many countries around the
world.
The participation of stakeholders promotes effective decisions, by giving
groups affected by those decisions the opportunity to communicate their
needs and interests and support governments in tailoring, implementing

12See for instance:

http://www.2030agenda.undp.org/content/2030agenda/en/home/resources/tools-
and-guidelines-for-development-practitioners.html
http://data.un.org/

11
and reviewing public policies. Participation and consultation also build
ownership of the 2030 Agenda, and therefore contributes to a whole-of-
society approach to the implementation of the SDGs. The 2030 Agenda
calls upon stakeholders to be actively engaged throughout the process of
design, implementation, monitoring and review of the 2030 Agenda.
A stakeholder engagement plan can be used, among other things, to
frame the strategic purpose for consultations; set up a process to identify
stakeholders to be consulted; means; techniques and methods for
consultation (face-to-face workshops, online platforms, focus groups,
written comments); and how the consultation process will be
documented. Consideration could be given throughout the process as to
how to support reporting by relevant stakeholders and how those
contributions will be reflected in the final report, and how ongoing
stakeholder involvement will be reflected in the implementation of the
2030 Agenda. Efforts could include reaching out to legislative bodies, sub-
national and local governments, the public, civil society and the private
sector, and communicating entry points for stakeholder participation in
VNR preparation and implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Additionally,
efforts could be taken to identify representative voices from marginalized
groups and to enable their meaningful engagement in the process.
Awareness raising efforts encompass a range of activities such as
simplifying and translating the SDGs into local languages and including
the SDGs in school and university teaching programmes.
Some questions that could be considered include the following:
 What mechanisms and platforms are available for stakeholders
from civil society and the private sector to contribute to the VNR
and implementation of the SDGs?
 Who can participate? Are there umbrella bodies that can be
consulted or is there a need to create targeted consultation
processes in situations where no multi-stakeholder bodies or fora
exist?
 What is the desired mix of in-person or online engagement
options?
 How does the Government take into account the views of all
stakeholders in developing its implementation plan for the 2030
Agenda?

12
  What partnerships, including with the private sector, have been
put in place for implementation of the SDGs? Consider examples
that could be showcased as good practices.
 How can contributions from stakeholders be showcased in the
VNR report?

Country examples

Lesotho’s participation in the 2019 VNR process has been a good

learning experience for the Government across ministries,
departments and agencies, the private sector, CSOs, academia, and
special groups like children, the youth, women and people with
disabilities. Through this process, advocacy, public education and
awareness about SDGs across districts in Lesotho – rural and urban,
and among various stakeholders, have been reinforced. Lesotho's
National Technical Steering Committee for the implementation of
sustainable development agenda is chaired by the Principal Secretary
for Ministry of Development Planning, with a multi-stakeholder
membership including: Ministries Principal Secretaries (PSs), UN
Country Team (UNCT), Development Partners, Heads of Government
Agencies, Heads of CSOs, Heads of NGOs; Chief Executives, and Heads
of Trade Unions. Its responsibility is to give technical direction and
quality assurance to the implementation, monitoring of and reporting
on SDGs.
From: The VNR of Lesotho, 2019

In Guatemala, public sector consultations for the VNR report covered

the departmental, municipal and regional level. The 22 departmental
workshops were held convened by departmental technical units,
which included representatives of civil society and mayors. The
regional workshops, meanwhile, were made through the regional
urban and rural development councils (COREDUR), with the facilitation
of community organizers with whom they work. The community
organizers were able to replicate these workshops from the central
level at the local level. Finally, the municipal consultations were carried
out via ad hoc questionnaires that were prepared with the assistance

13
 of regional experts. This resulted in 152 responses, which represents a
44% of municipalities in the country.
From: the VNR of Guatemala, 2019

Tips:
 Stakeholders from different countries and sectors have been
coordinating efforts to produce ‘spotlight reports’, reflecting
their perspectives on implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
National civil society coalitions on the SDGs have been
established in several countries13 and usually take the lead on
drafting those reports.
 Since 2016, DESA and the United Nations Institute for Training
and Research (UNITAR) have partnered to develop a facilitated
online course for government officials in charge of the
mainstreaming and review of the SDGs. Information can be
found at: https://www.unitar.org/stakeholders-engagement-
implementation-sdgs-giving-countries-best-chances-succeed
 UN DESA webinars for MGoS

D. Key building blocks for preparing the review

The following headings are generally presented according to the sections
of the updated Secretary-General’s guidelines, referred to above. 14 A
number of the steps described below may take place simultaneously and
continuously. The guidelines make clear that each country will decide on
the scope of their review and the format in which they wish to present
their findings. However, countries may voluntarily use the components
which are presented in the guidelines to help them frame the
preparations for their VNRs.

13 Examples of national CSO coalitions on the SDGs can be found here:

http://www.together2030.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/FINAL-Mapping-of-
National-CSO-coalitions-on-SDGs-March-2018.pdf
14 The examples given in this section are illustrative of what countries which have

already presented their VNRs have done. More good practice examples are available in
the VNRs themselves as well as in the annual VNR Synthesis Reports prepared by UN
DESA. The guidelines are attached hereto as annex 2.
14
The review is expected to show what steps the country has taken to
implement the 2030 Agenda, including the goals and targets, and provide
an assessment of the results on the ground. Implementation needs to be
more visible over time and the country should indicate exactly what
concrete, tangible steps it has taken to ensure that the 2030 Agenda is
met. The progress and advancement in the implementation should be
supported by data, monitoring and evaluation.
In the first parts of the review (Opening statement, Highlights,
Introduction, Methodology for the process of preparation of the
review), countries are invited to give an overview of their own context
and overall national objectives and information on the overall process.
Countries may provide two or three examples of good practices, lessons
learned and challenges on which it wishes to hear about from other
countries. Countries may also provide a snapshot of the voluntary
national review, including the preparation process and involvement of
different sectors and levels of government and multi-stakeholders, and
areas where they would need support, including in terms of finance,
capacity building, technology, and partnerships. Countries could provide
information on how the Government has responded to the integrated
and indivisible nature of the SDGs, and the principle of leaving no-one
behind. Countries are also encouraged to integrate a gender perspective
across all sections of the report. The introduction could also provide links
to other international agreements such as the Addis Ababa Action
Agenda, the Paris Agreement, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster
Risk Reduction.
Ownership of the SDGs
Tied in directly with the section on multi-stakeholder participation
described above, is national ownership of the SDGs. Awareness raising
and dissemination of information about the SDGs throughout all
branches and levels of government and among stakeholders is a crucial
and ongoing dimension of creating an enabling environment, and
participatory and inclusive processes, a central requirement in the 2030
Agenda, can help to create a sense of ownership. Creating ownership is
about ensuring that all in society are made aware of the 2030 Agenda
and are brought fully on board in implementation, reporting and
monitoring. Keeping the goals and targets under constant national
review and ensuring the sustained involvement of all stakeholders,

15
including through monitoring and review mechanisms, is important to
maintain ownership of the SDGs.
Some questions that could be considered include the following:
 How are all sectors and levels of government (local and
subnational) being engaged in the implementation of the 2030
Agenda? Have they prepared their own voluntary local reviews?
 How is parliament involved in the preparation of the VNR and the
implementation of the SDGs?
 What is being done to keep the SDGs under inclusive and
participatory review at the national level? Have the SDGs been
taken up by bodies, such as supreme audit institutions, or
included in performance monitoring and evaluation systems?
 How is outreach targeted so that marginalised and vulnerable
groups are reached and that no-one is left behind?
 Have the actions of all levels of government and all actors been
adequately reflected in the VNR report?
Country examples

Cambodia has engaged in advocacy and citizen engagement. As the

closest level of government to the people, local administrations are
well-placed to raise awareness and the relevance of the SDGs.
Subnational governments bridge the gap between the central
government and citizens and will play a strong role in fostering the
involvement of civil society organizations, the private sector, academia
and other community-based organizations. Locally elected leaders, in
particular, have a democratic mandate to lead local development and
can be held accountable. Awareness-raising activities will aim to
increase the engagement of citizens and local communities in order to
promote their sense of ownership of the agenda and their
participation in the achievement of the SDGs at local level. Sub-
national governments will be supported to recognize the 2030 Agenda
as a framework for action and set up mechanisms that enable citizen
participation and institutional accountability.
From: the VNR of Cambodia, 2019

16
The Republic of Congo launched the 2030 Agenda in December 2016
under the high patronage of the Prime Minister who presented the
SDG architecture and roadmap. The roadmap defined activities for
parliamentarians and locally elected officials, academia, civil society,
youth and the general public. The ownership of SDGs was carried out
through the SDG contextualization workshops as well as by distributing
information through traditional media like advertising, TV and radio,
as well as social networks and through awareness campaigns.
From: the VNR of the Republic of Congo, 2019

In Iceland, particular emphasis is placed on disseminating information

on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, as it is clear that they will
not be achieved without the widespread participation of the general
public, academia, civil society and the private sector. To this end, in
2018, a special communications officer for the SDGs was appointed by
the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, to develop and produce information
material to raise awareness and understanding of the goals and to pay
specific attention to their integration with the activities of Government
Offices. In March 2018, a promotional campaign was launched on all
the country’s main media about the SDGs under the title “Let’s Have
Good News to Tell in 2030”. As the goals aim at progress in all major
areas of society on a global scale, the campaign attempted to identify
what some of the good news might be in the future, if the goals are
met. The objective was to draw attention to the SDGs in order to
promote public participation in their implementation. Short videos
were shown on television, social media (Facebook and YouTube) and
in cinemas, and online advertising banners and full-page
advertisements were published in Icelandic media.
From: the VNR of Iceland, 2019

In Timor-Leste due to the country’s unique context as a conflict-

affected country, the priority was to use the VNR process as a platform
to deepen awareness and discussion on sustainable development in
Timor-Leste. The aim was to ensure space was provided to enable
citizens at all levels, with different backgrounds, to give feedback on
their experiences of sustainable development in the country.
From: the VNR of Timor-Leste, 2019

17
Figure 4: Indicative map of key national actors and stakeholders (DESA)

Incorporation of the SDGs into national frameworks

The effective implementation of the SDGs depends on their incorporation
into all relevant national frameworks. The VNR needs to analyse how well
such frameworks are aligned with the SDGs and determine whether there
are critical gaps. Countries should be specific about the main challenges
and difficulties they face in implementing the SDGs and are encouraged
to provide an analysis of the causes of these challenges and difficulties
and how they foresee overcoming these barriers. There are various laws,
regulations and policies that should be examined to assess a country’s
alignment with the SDGs including:
 national vision documents;
 a national development plan or sustainable development
strategy;
 integrated financial frameworks and other fiscal policies;
 sectoral policies, strategies, plans and programmes;
 legislation; and

18
  local government and sub-national development plans; as well as
laws, policies, strategies, and programmes.
Simple grid-based tools are a way to begin to explore the alignment
between existing national frameworks and the SDGs. Below is a simplified
representation from the Rapid Integrated Assessment (RIA) tool of UNDP.

Policy SDG-1: Poverty SDG-2: Food security

Area/Secto
r 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.a 1.b 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.a 2.b 2.c

Health X X
Strategy

Water X X X X
Sector
Developme
nt Policy

National X X X X
Biodiversity
Strategy

Land Policy X X X X
Act

National X X X X X
Smallholde
r Policy

Justice X X
System
Reform
Programme

Prevention X
of Violence
Against
Women
Policy

Early X X
Childhood
Developme
nt
Programme

4 1 0 4 2 0 2 0 3 3 3 1 1 0 0

19
 Single target addressed in One plan covering
multiple policies multiple targets
Figure 5: Mapping of existing policies to the SDGs (DESA, adapted from the RIA of UNDP)

Where gaps and convergences are identified, the VNR could propose
steps to better incorporate the SDGs into national frameworks. The
review could provide an overview of adjustments to existing policies
and strategies, or the adoption of new policies and instruments for
achieving the SDGs. Specifically, the country may describe how the
policy makers are coordinating through national planning, budgetary,
financial and investment processes, which may help bring about a
deeper, faster and more ambitious response to the challenges which
their economies are facing.
Some questions that could be considered include the following:
 Has the country conducted a gap analysis of the SDGs and its
national frameworks?
 What has been done to integrate the SDGs into legislation,
strategies, policies, plans and programmes and to what extent
can the implementation of the SDGs be advanced through
existing plans and strategies? Do they need to be updated or
revised to implement the SDGs?
 How have the SDGs been aligned with national policy
frameworks?
 To what extent have the SDGs been integrated into the policies
and programmes of line ministries?
 What are solutions and good practices to ensure policy
coherence and identify benefits and minimize trade-offs?
 What are the main results of policy changes or new policies and
plans in place?
 What are the main challenges and difficulties that the country
faces in implementing the SDGs?

20
  What actions have been undertaken by sub-national and local
government to implement the SDGs?
Country examples

In 2017, The Fijian Government launched its 5-Year & 20-Year

National Development Plans (NDP) with the vision of transforming
Fiji. The NDP proposes two mutually inclusive and mutually
reinforcing development strategies:
• Inclusive Social-Economic Development which aims to further
improve the living standards of Fijians; and
• Transformational Strategic Thrusts which aim to cement Fiji as the
regional hub of the South Pacific through continuing the momentum
of key reforms and building on locational, infrastructural, and
institutional advantages.
The NDP is the outcome of a nationwide consultation process that
involved the private sector, civil society, community groups,
government and the general public reflecting the aspirations of the
Fijian people and their Government’s commitment to build a more
prosperous and inclusive Fiji. Mainstreamed and integrated within
the various thematic areas of the NDP are the SDGs – 15 SDGs are
explicitly integrated into the corresponding 29 strategic priorities of
the NDP while SDG 10 (reduce inequalities), SDG 12 (responsible
consumption and production) and SDG 13 (climate action) are
treated as cross-cutting issues across the NDP. Consequently, the
SDG implementation and its monitoring hinge on the NDP processes
including the overall monitoring and evaluation. At the sector level,
SDGs have already been integrated into sectoral strategic plans and
policies in many sectors including but not limited to education,
health and agriculture. Fiji also recognises that, while Government
holds the important responsibility for achieving the SDGs, it is in
everyone’s interest and everyone’s responsibility including private
individuals, private enterprises, NGOs and CSOs to advance the
sustainable development agenda. Working with these stakeholders,
the Fijian Government is helping advance socio-economic
development that empowers all Fijians.
From: the VNR of Fiji, 2019

21
Eswatini has mainstreamed Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063 into its
National Development Strategy and National Development Plan. The
institutional arrangement to implement SDGs involves technical
working team and the steering committee. Members of the technical
team are representatives of government, business society, civil
society organizations, academics and experts to ensure inclusiveness
and no one left behind principles. The SDGs metadata was very
instrumental in guiding stakeholders on the definition of each goal
and method of computing indicators to assure comparability among
regions and ensure no one leave behind principle is in place. Faced
with limited resources, there is strong need to prioritize
development issues and efforts to attain maximum results in a cost-
effective manner considering multiplier effects and means of
implementing the goals. The country prioritized and ranked the SDGs
giving due attention and consideration to domestic contextual
realities and future development potentials. Special attention was
given to objective realities prevailing in the country particularly
perceived national focus areas for development and prevailing
development gaps. In addition, consideration was given to
challenges, potential for development and promotion of human
development dynamics when prioritizing the SDGs.
From: the VNR of Eswatini, 2019

22
23
From: the VNR of Turkey, 2019

Tips:
 The Rapid Integrated Assessment Policy Tool developed by UNDP
may help countries gauge their readiness for SDG
implementation. This assessment tool provides an initial overview
of a country’s alignment with the 2030 Agenda through a gap
analysis of SDG targets. It can be used as a starting point for more
focused analysis. The RIA Tool is available here.
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/sust
ainable-development-goals/rapid-integrated-assessment---
mainstreaming-sdgs-into-national-a.html

Integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development

An integrated implementation of the 2030 Agenda means that reviews
should discuss the interlinkages that exist between SDGs, both in the
form of synergies and also in trade-offs and conflicts taking into account
the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social and
environmental. A clear understanding of inter-linkages will, in turn, allow
countries to manage them, notably through optimum cooperation and
coordination between sectors and institutions.
Under this section, the VNR could provide a brief overview of analysis of
interlinkages and institutional arrangements undertaken and designed
for integrated policy-making, and examples of policies that integrate the
three dimensions.
Some questions that could be considered include the following:
 What are the most important national interlinkages, or nexus of
interlinkages, between the goals and targets covered in the VNR?
 What are the main barriers to the better integration of the three
dimensions of sustainable development and the 17 SDGs?
 How does the country engage in discussion and find effective
solutions to trade-offs that have to be made?
 What actions are being taken to ensure that all levels of
government work together (horizontally across sectors, and

24
 vertically from national to local) to integrate the three
dimensions and the SDGs?
 Are there examples of the positive impact of more integrated
national policies?
A simple example can be used to illustrate how certain policies/strategies
have multiple benefits. Unconditional cash transfers to young girls in
Africa can reduce poverty, keep girls in school, reduce unwanted teen
pregnancies and decrease HIV transmission by as much as two thirds.
Thus, an intervention motivated by a ‘social protection’ objective ends up
advancing other goals such as the reduction of poverty, education, health
and gender equality goals.15
A basic template can be used to explore interlinkages between SDG
targets, such as this one below, taken from the VNR report of Ghana,
2019.

Such an initial mapping of potential interlinkages can be used to identify

targets where more than one government agency has responsibility,

15This has been adapted slightly from the example used in UNDP Support to the
Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development available at:
http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/SDGs/SDG%20Implementation%20an
d%20UNDP_Policy_and_Programme_Brief.pdf
25
which suggests areas for integrated policy-making and implementation.
The initial mapping can also be used for more in-depth analysis of
interlinkages between targets of special interest, e.g. national priorities,
by means of focus groups or more specialised modelling tools. This could
include examining synergies and possible strategies for tackling trade-
offs.
Country examples

Mongolia, in order to strengthen policy and planning mechanisms, has

developed a methodology for ensuring policy coherence and
identifying policy targets. This methodology has approved and
amended into the Regulation for Developing Development Policies by
Government Resolution No.294 of 2018. This amendment enables
policymakers to strengthen policy coherence of newly formulated
policies. But it is also necessary to review all policy documents
approved prior the passage of the Law using the same methodology in
order to improve coherence between the long and medium-term
policies. Furthermore, to systematically ensure coherence of policies
approved prior to the adoption of the above-mentioned methodology
with long and medium-term goals, including the SDGs, a Working
Group including all state organizations with a mandate to formulate
policies was established by the Prime Minister’s Order No. 2 of 2019.
While the Cabinet Secretariat is in charge of the overall management,
the NDA is responsible for providing technical guidance to this Working
Group.
Roadmap for aligning Mongolia’s Long Development Policy with the
SDGs

From: the VNR of Mongolia, 2019

26
 Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning (CCGL) is the UK’s
principal development education programme. £38 million is being
invested in CCGL, from 2018 to 2021 and aiming to reach 3 million
children. CCGL focusses on children aged 7 to 14 and supports
partnerships between primary and secondary schools across the UK
and developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Middle East
and North Africa. Through their participation, the children will gain the
skills, knowledge, attitudes and values that they will need to live and
eventually work in the global economy. The programme provides
training for 60,000 teachers and school leaders in the UK and
developing countries, on topics such as working together on the Goals,
teaching global citizenship, teaching transferable skills and ensuring
education is inclusive.
From: the VNR of the United Kingdom, 2019

Tip:
 UNESCAP has developed a framework and tools for
integrating the three dimensions of sustainable development.
This and other tools are available here:
https://sdghelpdesk.unescap.org/knowledge-hub/thematic-
areas

Leaving no one behind

Countries could set out actions they have taken to mainstream the
principle of leaving no one behind in the implementation of the SDGs.
This could include actions to prioritise outcomes for vulnerable groups,
as well as looking beyond population averages to identify who they are,
where they are located and their specific needs. Countries are
encouraged to go beyond social policies and include macroeconomic
policies and technology that impact on the situation of the furthest
behind. Particular attention should be placed on efforts to empower
women and girls. Starting points for addressing the area of ‘leaving no
one behind’ could include actions to end extreme poverty, policies aimed
at reducing inequalities and policies aimed at discriminatory barriers,
including those arising from geography as well as efforts to ensure
inclusive and effective participation in implementation. The impact of
27
multiple and overlapping inequalities – being a woman and living in a
rural area, for example, could also be considered.
Some questions that could be considered include the following:
 How are vulnerable groups and those furthest behind being
identified?
 Who is being left behind and what are the underlying reasons
for their vulnerability?
 What disaggregated sources of data are available and what are
the data gaps?
 What actions are being taken to determine the needs of the
vulnerable and furthest behind?
 What is being done to support the empowerment of vulnerable
groups?
Country examples

Iraq has taken steps towards integrating and empowering people with
disabilities and their special needs and enhancing their participation in
society. In December 2017 Iraq was on schedule with the launch of the
results of the first National Disability Survey for the year 2016, which
was implemented by the Central Bureau of Statistics in the Ministry of
Planning and covered 13 of the provinces of Iraq, except the provinces
of Kurdistan and the provinces of Nineveh and Anbar because of
military operations, The importance of this survey stems from the
provision of a database for the disabled that will help decision-makers
to draw up policies for this segment.

28
From: the VNR of Iraq, 2019

The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the process of drafting

a development strategy that will incorporate the SDGs and their
implementation in accordance with the socioeconomic context in
Bosnia and Herzegovina and the cantons and municipalities of the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The drafting process for the
development strategy foresees the creation of four thematic groups
with twelve subgroups covering all aspects of socioeconomic
development (for example, competitiveness and smart specialization,
human resources, food production, social inclusion, etc.). Activities of
all subgroups will be based on the ‘leave no one behind’ principle. This
means that each thematic group will implement this principle giving
special attention to marginalized groups and will make decisions to
ensure their equal participation in socioeconomic processes in the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
From: the VNR of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2019

Inclusion within the framework of the 2030 Agenda, is often presented

by the principle of leaving no one behind, which defines the need to
include all citizens, all social classes, notably the most disenfranchised,
vulnerable and those exposed to shocks (related to climate, economy
and finance, etc.) as beneficiaries of public support. The vulnerable
social groups of Cameroon, include women, youth, persons with
disabilities, indigenous peoples, children in conflict with the law,
29
 refugees, etc. The measures undertaken by the Government for the
promotion of social inclusion are legal, institutional and political and
operational. By way of example, at the institutional and political level,
it should be emphasized that in view of the social inclusion being a
cross-cutting issue, several ministerial departments provide support
with assistance by many social partners involved in this area, such as
the Ministry of Social Affairs, which produces and regularly updates the
statistical yearbook on vulnerable population in Cameroon.
From: the VNR of Cameroon, 2019

Institutional mechanisms
Implementation of the 2030 Agenda will require countries to examine
and often strengthen their institutional tools, ensuring that existing
and/or new mechanisms are robust and inclusive. In many countries,
institutions have been put in place and/or strengthened. Institutional
mechanisms are often multi-faceted and integrated, characterised by
inter-ministerial coordination and multi-sectoral involvement, seeking to
harmonise different workstreams and involving all agencies in cross-
cutting efforts to achieve the SDGs. Responsibility for coherent
implementation and review of the 2030 Agenda is often shared and
allocated among various levels of Government (national, subnational and
local).

30
Country examples

From the outset, the Liechtenstein government chose a systematic

approach to analyse the level of implementation of the SDGs in
Liechtenstein and to define the need for action. To that end the
government established an interdisciplinary working group led by the
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Justice and Culture and tasked it with the
following:
• Performance of a gap analysis with respect to the level of
implementation of the SDGs
• Analysis of the need for action to ensure implementation
• Review of data availability for measurement of the SDGs
In a detailed analytic process, the working group drew up an overview
of the individual SDGs and their targets and also studied the available
data for measuring progress. At the same time the public was informed
at various events about the SDGs and discussions were held with
stakeholder groups. Based on the results and the recommendations of
the working group and according to the priority given to the identified
need for action, the government decided to define the SDGs together
with the “2017–2021 Government Programme” as one of the strategic
guidelines for the government’s work. It aims for the SDGs to be
implemented as broadly as possible but wishes to focus on the SDGs
where it perceives the greatest need for action or the most challenges
for the future. (…) The relevant ministries are responsible for
implementing the various SDG-related projects. The Ministry for
Foreign Affairs, Justice and Culture was tasked with coordinating
implementation and with producing this report.
From: the VNR of Liechtenstein, 2019

31
 From: the VNR of Pakistan, 2019

Institutional structure for sustainable development in Saint Lucia

From: The VNR of Saint Lucia, 2019

The institutional mechanism should remain relevant across political

cycles and should overlap with rather than follow the electoral cycle of
the country in question. This ensures that the institution’s work extends
beyond the term of the present government to which both current and
future decision makers and political parties are committed. The review
can provide opportunity to include information on how the views of
different ministries, agencies, levels of government and non-
governmental stakeholders, including representatives of vulnerable
groups, have been mobilized around the 2030 Agenda and how their
views are considered. Countries may also consider including information,
32
on the institution(s) / mechanism(s) in charge of coordination and
integration for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, on their
interaction with relevant national bodies, such as the national planning
entities, oversight bodies or national mechanisms for reporting and
follow-up. This section could also include a reflection of how the country
has ensured that the institutional mechanisms supporting SDG
implementation are effective, accountable, and inclusive. The review
could consider highlighting efforts to successfully mobilize institutions
around the SDGs, improve their functioning, make them more
responsive, accountable and transparent and promote collaboration and
change to achieve policy coherence and integration across sectors. It
would be useful to highlight how the country is reviewing progress in
implementing the SDGs, including mechanisms for monitoring and
evaluation of policies and measures. possible plans for the conduct of
national reviews that take into account the presentation of the VNR. The
review could also highlight how the preparation and follow-up to VNRs at
the HLPF are embedded in the ongoing processes.
Some questions that could be considered include the following:
 How does the institutional framework incorporate different
actors and stakeholders and their interests? How do the overall
institutional arrangements relating to the SDGs involve key line
ministries, sub-national and local levels of government,
parliament, human rights institutions, civil society organisations,
and the private sector, oversight bodies and/or national
mechanisms for follow-up and review?
 What is the involvement of the highest level of government in
the institutional arrangement?
 How does the institutional arrangement work to mobilise all
stakeholders around the SDGs and promote change?
 Are there examples of how the institutional arrangements have
had an impact, for instance through more integrated policy-
making?
 How does the country review progress in implementing the
SDGs, including possible plans for the conduct of national reviews
that take into account the presentation of the VNR at the HLPF?

33
Structural issues
Countries could reflect on the cross-cutting / transversal / structural
issues that impact on the implementation of the SDGs of, for example,
gender equality, inequality, trade, peaceful societies, production and
consumption patterns, and structural transformation of the economy.
The analysis could consider relevant institutional barriers to change at
the national, regional, or international level. Countries could also provide
examples of policies they have implemented that have resulted in
transformative changes and/or show institutional changes they did to
address structural issues or barriers and how to avoid trade-offs among
the SDGs.
Goals and targets
Countries are encouraged to provide brief information on progress and
the status of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals contained in the 2030
Agenda. The consideration of Goals could focus on trends, successes,
critical challenges, interlinkages, synergies and trade-offs, emerging
issues, and lessons learned, and describe what actions have been taken
to address existing gaps and the challenges that have been identified.
While countries are encouraged to report on all 17 SDGs, more in-depth
analysis of a few selected goals and targets seen as national priority and
their related gaps and challenges may also be reflected in the VNRs. This
in-depth analysis may be guided by the country in light of its priorities but
could also be provided because countries have best practice examples in
implementation or innovative policies to share at the global level.
Examples that are particularly interesting for peer learning and in an
international context are encouraged. The review of goals could include
a qualitative and / or a quantitative dimension. If countries are doing their
second and subsequent voluntary national reviews it would be desirable
to include the progress made since the previous review, along with any
specific efforts that have been undertaken to address recommendations
from the previous review.
VNRs have covered the goals and targets in a range of different ways,
including providing:
 a snapshot of the status of the goals and targets;
 achievements and good practices;
 the impact of country interventions at home and abroad;
34
  gaps and challenges;
 challenges and opportunities;
 interlinkages, synergies and trade-offs with other goals;
 an analysis of emerging issues; and
 plans for future enhanced implementation.
Some questions that could be considered include the following:
 Has a baseline for the SDGs been established and used? Have
specific efforts been undertaken to address recommendations
from the previous review and the findings of the national
processes to prepare the VNR?
 Has the country prioritised certain SDGs? What criteria /process
was used to derive priorities and who was engaged in prioritizing
the SDGs?
 How are the various levels of government, parliament, and
stakeholders working together to achieve the goals and targets?
 What progress has the country made on the goals and targets?
What are the trends? Are there emerging issues of concern?
Consider how the VNR can analyse progress/challenges, rather
than describing existing/planned policies.
 Where gaps and challenges have been identified, what measures
have been put in place, or are planned, to address them?
 What efforts have been made to ensure that all policies, plans
and programmes reach the most marginalised and leave no one
behind?
 Are there good practice examples of achieving the goals and
targets which other countries would find useful?
Country examples

Strategic issues for Israel, 2015, relevant for Israel’s planned course on
implementation of the SDGs

35
 From: the VNR of Israel, 2019
Mauritius outlined challenges and opportunities for each SDG, here
SDG 14:

From: the VNR of Mauritius, 2019

Means of implementation
The review process should discuss how means of implementation are
mobilised, what difficulties are being encountered, and what additional
resources are needed to implement the 2030 Agenda, looking at the full
36
range of financing sources (public/private, domestic/international) and
non-financing means of implementation, such as capacity development
and data needs, technology, and partnerships. Gender-responsive
budgeting can be highlighted, if applicable.
Countries could elaborate on their financing strategy for the SDGs /
integrated national financing framework where applicable, and the
appropriate policies and reforms in place to finance this strategy.
Countries could also provide an overview of the institutional set-up and
coordination mechanisms (intra-government and with other
stakeholders) which help implement the financing strategy. The review
could indicate how financial systems, statistical data and resource
allocations are being aligned to support the realization of the 2030
Agenda and its pledge to leave no one behind. Coverage of domestic
resource mobilization could include the contribution of the private
sector. Countries are also encouraged to identify concrete technology,
capacity development and data needs.
Partnerships, including public, public-private and multi-stakeholder, as
an effective vehicle to implement the SDGs could be elaborated upon.
Costing and budgeting for the SDGs, as well as strengthening institutional
and human capacities for implementation should also be considered
when preparing the review.
Some questions that could be considered include the following:
 What are current resource flows? Summarise steps taken to
mobilise domestic resources, official development assistance
and additional sources of funding, such as foreign direct
investment and remittances.
 What steps have been taken to identify critical gaps and estimate
additional resources that are needed to implement the 2030
Agenda? Relevant aspects include financing, capacity
development needs, including for data and statistics knowledge
sharing, technology and partnerships.
 How can financial systems and resource allocations be aligned to
support the realisation of the 2030 Agenda?
 How is the country engaging in international cooperation?
Examples could include South-South, North-South and other
forms of cooperation.
37
  How is the Addis Ababa Agenda being used to mobilise means of
implementation? Has the country adopted a financing strategy/
integrated national financing framework, where applicable?
What policies and reforms are in place to finance this strategy?
 What partnerships is the country involved in? Are there
opportunities to expand partnerships for the implementation of
the 2030 Agenda? What role does/can the private sector play?
 What capacity development services does the country need for
more effective implementation of the SDGs? This is an
opportunity to identify specific needs for the country.
Country examples

Tonga reported its commitment to improve the links between national

(and sector) plans and budgets in order to ensure that development
priorities are resourced for implementation as planned. A tailored tool
(called One Process) has been operationalized in order to better
allocate resources for targeted outputs. Overall, the One Process Tool
is intended to help improve the service delivery performance of whole-
of-Government through eight components outlined in the figure
below.

From: the VNR of Tonga, 2019

Major gaps and challenges faced while achieving the 2030 Agenda in
Kuwait

38
 From: the VNR of Kuwait, 2019

From: the VNR of Mauritius, 2019

Conclusion and next steps

Based on the outcomes of the review, countries could outline what
steps are planned to enhance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda
in the coming four years. Countries could also indicate their plans for
keeping the SDGs under review at the national and sub-national levels,
including dissemination of VNRs and other national reviews and their
findings. The section could highlight what lessons the country has
learned from the review process, how it will apply them in the
continuing implementation and what support it would need in the
future for preparing such reviews.

39
The following issues/questions could be addressed:
 A summary of the analysis, findings from policy bodies, the
public, civil society and the private sector
 New and emerging issues
 What lessons can be learned from the review process?
 What support does the country need to prepare future reviews?
 What adjustments should be made to the voluntary national
guidelines to ensure that they are useful?
Countries are encouraged to reflect on how the VNR will contribute to
accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through identifying
concrete follow-up actions. Some questions that could be considered
include the following:
 How are the outcomes of the VNR being taken up at national
level? Is the review being disseminated?
 What additional steps are planned to integrate the SDGs into
government activities, e.g. the budgeting process and policies
and programmes of line ministries, other institutions or
legislation?
 Are there plans for regular review of progress at the national
level on the implementation of the Agenda?
 What follow-up actions are being defined after the presentation
of the VNR at the HLPF?

40
From: the VNR of Chad, 2019

Croatia informed that the Voluntary National Review, which is

prepared in parallel to the 2030 NDS, is an opportunity to objectively
assess performance in different sectors and to plan follow-up activities
related to the achievement of sustainable development goals. To
ensure the implementation of sustainable development goals under
the 2030 NDS, Croatia will focus its follow-up activities on the
following:
 improvement of the institutional architecture with a clearly
defined organisational, coordination and supervisory structure;
 defining an interventional logic to form connections between
strategic goals, planned implementation mechanisms, structural
reforms and strategic projects under the 2030 NDS;
 strengthening national statistical capacities;
 implementing permanent outreach and educational activities in
order to raise awareness about sustainable development and
living and the implementation of SDGs on a national and global
level.
From: the VNR of Croatia, 2019

41
Annexes
Countries are encouraged to include an annex with data, using the global
Sustainable Development Goals indicators and adding priority indicators
identified at the regional and national levels where appropriate. They
may highlight whether statistics, including gender statistics, were
collected from the national statistical system and pinpoint major gaps in
official statistics on indicators.
Some questions that could be considered in relation to a statistical annex
include the following:
 What criteria were used for selecting the indicators in the annex?
 How does the annex supplement and support the content of the
review? Consider what is more effective – a very comprehensive
presentation or a selection of the most relevant indicators?
 What is the most user-friendly format for presenting the data?
 Is it feasible to present time-series data?
Countries may also consider including additional annexes covering, for
example, best practices and/or policies and strategies that have
advanced implementation of the 2030 Agenda, interlinkages between
the goals and targets as well as the global impacts of national actions
(spillover), comments and inputs from stakeholders, as well as a list of all
the actors that contributed to the report.
If countries so wish, they can send other reports to UN DESA for posting
on their national page in the VNR database, including complementary
reports by stakeholders.

E. Monitoring and Review

Effective monitoring and review processes are key to the 2030 Agenda.
Monitoring national implementation of the SDGs requires the collection,
processing, analysis and dissemination of reliable, timely, accessible and
sufficiently disaggregated data. This includes the global SDG indicator
framework for the follow-up and review of the progress adopted in 2017
which contains 232 indicators towards achieving the SDGs. Countries are
developing their statistical capacities and contributing to the definition of

42
 global indicators identifying indicators that best reflect national
challenges.16
Many countries have different institutions for monitoring the
achievement of the SDGs, including their national institutional
frameworks which reflect various issues, such as aligning the SDGs with
national and international human rights obligations.
Many countries also recognize the value that audit institutions can bring
to the implementation and review of the SDGs.
Some questions that could be considered include the following:
 What efforts are being made to strengthen national statistical systems
and the availability of quality data? Are there any institutional
innovations to support the collection of data?
 What efforts are being made to disaggregate data? What constraints do
countries have in this regard?
 What challenges are being faced with data collection and management?
 What data gaps have been identified and what steps are being taken to
address these gaps?
 What efforts are being made to monitor the indicators and ensure
transparency and accountability?
 What efforts are being made to follow up on and review implementation
of the 2030 Agenda, including multi-stakeholder participation and
mobilizing support through partnerships?
 Are monitoring efforts presented in a way that allows for sufficient
review and dialogue by all stakeholders?
Country examples

The Philippines initiated two online sources of SDG information: the

SDG Website of NEDA (sdg.neda.gov.ph) and the SDG Watch of PSA
(psa.gov.ph/sdg). The SDG Website aims to provide an online platform
to engage different stakeholders on the SDGs and aims to serve as a
tool for policy coordination. The main sections are the programs for
the 17 goals, policy coordination and mainstreaming, and stakeholder

16 See note 8.
43
 engagement. The SDG Website also expounds on the VNR report, more
details on the achievement of the focus goals are in the website. The
SDG Watch of PSA provides statistical information on the SDGs in the
Philippines. It provides a listing of the Tier 1 indicator and baseline
information for these indicators. A report on the pace of progress of
the achievement of each target based on the national numerical
targets of the SDGs is also in the pipeline.
From: the VNR of the Philippines, 2019

From: the VNR of Kazakhstan, 2019

F. Preparatory workshops and submission of VNRs17

The preparatory process for the VNRs includes workshops based on
countries’ previous experiences in participating in the VNR process. The
workshops are organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social
Affairs (UN DESA) and are designed to facilitate peer learning and
interaction, providing a space for exchange of views, lessons learned and
experiences in preparing VNRs. The workshops are intended for working-
level officials who are closely engaged in the national preparatory
process. Subject to availability of funding, it is anticipated that support

17 Dates in this section refer to the 2020 HLPF

44
may be provided for one participant per developing country. Additional
participants from presenting countries may attend on their own funding.
The preparatory process for the 2020 VNRs includes the following:
First global workshop (19-20 November 2019, Oslo, Norway): Based on
peer learning and exchange between countries conducting VNRs in 2020
and countries that have carried out VNRs in previous years (2016-2019).
The workshop is also designed to cover key components of the
preparatory process.
Second global workshop (Spring 2020): Will facilitate a sharing of
experiences among the 2020 VNR countries, including on lessons learned
and challenges encountered in the process up to this point. It will also
feature more in-depth exchange of knowledge and guidance on the
preparation and presentation process and will facilitate discussion on
how to draft sections of the report and make VNR presentations at the
HLPF.
Third global workshop (12 July 2020, New York, USA): Scheduled to take
place on the Sunday prior to the presentation of the VNRs at the HLPF,
the meeting will cover final preparatory matters and engage countries in
a discussion of anticipated follow-up to the VNRs.

UN Regional Commissions
The Regional Commissions support countries in the implementation of
the 2030 Agenda, as well as in the preparation for the HLPF and VNRs.
For the 2020 HLPF, it is expected that five regional VNR workshops will
be held on the margins of the regional fora for sustainable
development convened by the Economic Commission for Europe
(ECE), the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA),
the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP),
Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC), and the Economic
Commission for Africa (ECA). The regional workshops discuss the
specificities of each region and provide for an additional exchange of
experiences and lessons learned among the VNR countries.
Regional Preparatory Meetings
 United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA): 24-27
February 2020, Victoria Falls Town, Zimbabwe

45
  United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia (ESCWA): 7 - 9 April 2020, Beirut, Lebanon
 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE): 19 -
20 March 2020, Geneva, Switzerland
 United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (ESCAP): 25 - 27 March 2020, Bangkok, Thailand
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and
the Caribbean (ECLAC): 28 – 31 March 2020, Havana, Cuba

Review – deadlines for submission to UN DESA

Two documents are to be submitted to the Secretariat, and there is a
deadline for each of them.
VNR countries need to submit Main Messages for their VNRs in one of
the six official UN languages by 1 May 2020. The Main Messages allow
preparation by stakeholders, including other countries, for the HLPF. The
Main Messages need not be a conclusive summary of the VNR but can
contain emerging conclusions from the review. The Main Messages
provide an indication of some of the principal findings of the review. They
should try to already highlight good practices and challenges and areas
where the country would need support or advice from other countries or
institutions.
The word count of the Main Messages may not exceed 700 words. Main
Messages are translated by the Secretariat into all six official UN
languages and are issued as an official document of the UN. The Main
Messages are posted online.18
The final VNR report should be submitted in electronic format to DESA
by 12 June 2020 (a month before the HLPF). 19 The final reviews are
posted online. It is important to leave time for national approval of the
review before the submission, and to translate it into English if desired.
The VNRs are not translated by the Secretariat but are posted on the HLPF
website in the UN language/s in which they are submitted.

18Main Messages from the 2019VNRsVNRs are available at

https://undocs.org/en/E/HLPF/2019/5
19Only reviews that conform to UN resolutions can be posted on the UN website

46
Figure 6: Timeline for 2020 Voluntary National Reviews (DESA)

Audiovisual materials for the VNR presentation should be submitted to

UN DESA by 19 June 2020. The material must highlight the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda or the VNR. The technical team
requires sufficient time to check all audio-visual materials for technical
accuracy and compatibility with UN equipment and to liaise with
countries to make the necessary adjustments if problems arise. If
submission is delayed and not enough time is provided, the Secretariat
will not be able to guarantee a seamless presentation should any
technical issues or error arise during the presentation.

G. Presentation of the VNR at the HLPF

Preparations related to the presentation at the HLPF are an important
part of the process. Coordination between country’s focal points in both
capitals and the Permanent Missions in New York is key for a successful
VNR presentation at the HLPF. The presentation should convey the key
findings of the VNRs, including good practices, challenges and areas for
support and advice.

47
Questionnaire
To gather relevant information, UN DESA sends a questionnaire to
countries a few months before the HLPF. This questionnaire seeks to
establish:
 whether the country presenting for the first time prefers the
panel or individual-style presentation format for its presentation
(see below);
 preliminary information on the composition of the delegation
and who will present the VNR;
 information on audio-visual materials, including videos, that will
be used; and
 any other special requests, including dates on which the lead
presenter (minister) is/is not available, so that the draft schedule
for the VNR presentations can be prepared.

Format of presentation: In the panel format, the countries in a VNR

session (between two and four) each make their presentations.
Presenting countries may also consider having a dialogue among
themselves on their VNRs. Once all countries in the session have
presented, questions are posed to the presenting countries. Second-
time presenters will present in the panel format only. In the individual
format, a country presents, followed by questions from countries in
the audience, as well as from major groups and other stakeholders.
This is then followed by the next VNR country in that VNR session.
Unless agreed to otherwise by the presenting countries, the order of
presentations within a particular session is by protocol level of
presenter. For the same level, order of presentations is by presenting
country name in English alphabetical order.

VNR schedule
The draft schedule for the VNR presentations (13-16 July) is prepared
based on the principle of universality, so that sessions seek to reflect
regional diversity and different levels of development. Consideration will
be given to accommodating the time constraints of presenting ministers
if this is communicated timeously to UN DESA. Countries may also
propose their own grouping, bearing in mind the above-mentioned

48
regional diversity. The President of ECOSOC shares a draft schedule with
the VNR countries’ representatives in New York.20
In advance of the presentation at the HLPF, the country should prepare
to:
 submit any audiovisual material on the SDG implementation of
the VNR by the deadlines communicated by UN DESA;
 finalise details of the composition of the delegation;
 coordinate with its Permanent Mission in New York;
 finalise the person/persons to be seated on the podium, taking
into account available seating; and
 consider whether national stakeholders will be allocated time to
speak as part of the VNR presentation.

Presentation at the HLPF

Under the current modalities, the time provided for countries to

present at the HLPF is limited.
In accordance with past practice, countries presenting a VNR for the first
time will have 15 minutes for their presentation, followed by a similar
amount of time for questions from other countries and stakeholders and
factoring in time for podium changes. The 15-minute time allocation
includes the use of audio-visual material, including videos.
Countries presenting a VNR for the second time will be allocated a total
of 20 minutes each in a panel format: 10 minutes will be allocated for the
VNR presentation and 10 min for Q&A.
The presentation at the HLPF could highlight the key messages from the
review and touch on critical issues in the implementation of the 2030
Agenda. It is recommended that a minister or person of higher rank lead
the presentation of the VNR at the HLPF. In previous years presenters
have included prime ministers, deputy prime ministers, and ministers
from a range of portfolios.

20 See Note 4 above

49
To effectively use the limited presentation time, countries may further
wish to consider the options below:
• Submit the VNR report well in advance of the HLPF to inform a
substantive interactive debate at the HLPF
• Use focused infographics, data visualization, and where
meaningful videos, to communicate complex messages on the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the VNRs such as
preparatory process, linkages, priorities, innovations, progress
and challenges in a very short period of time.
• Providing space for stakeholders such as civil society, youth and
the private sector and others to share their contributions to and
views on SDG progress.
• Working informally with other presenting countries in advance to
compare review processes and findings, for example twinning for
peer learning, with a view to facilitating an exchange of lessons
learned and good practices during and after the VNR
presentation. A Group of Friends of VNRs has been launched in
2019 which stands ready to support the preparation of the
interactive discussion following a given country’s VNR
presentation at the HLPF, if the respective VNR presenting
country so wishes. It is chaired by His Excellency, Juan Sandoval
Mendiolea, the Deputy-Permanent Representative of Mexico to
the United Nations in New York.
• Making best use of the allocated time, including possibly written
questions and answers, to allow for interactive discussions and
Q&A sessions during the HLPF, which can strengthen peer
learning and exchange of best practices.
• Consider actively using the regional sustainable development
forums in the five regions as a preparatory step to share progress
and challenges and best practices on the preparation of the VNRs
and reflect on the follow-up to the VNRs.
• Think about your audience and which experiences of your
country’s 2030 Agenda implementation efforts could speak to
other countries? Which messages would you want to highlight for
potential partners?

50
 Tips:
 Videos of past VNR presentations are available in the archives
of UN Web TV: http://webtv.un.org/
 Power-Point presentations of past VNR presenters are posted
on the presenting country’s national page in the VNR
database: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/vnrs/

Countries may also wish to consider how best to use the time around
the formal meetings of the HLPF to further engage on the lessons
emerging from the review process and seek feedback on their VNRs,
including through actively participating in special events and VNR Labs,
by co-organizing side events or using other means to share relevant
experience and lessons learned. Presenting countries are encouraged to
make sure that their presentation panels are gender-balanced.

H. After the presentation

In order to get full benefit from the resources invested in the VNR,
countries could consider concrete follow-up steps. Points to consider are
the following:
 Ensure wide dissemination of the VNRs. For example, countries
could convene a press conference to present outcomes of the
VNR presentation at the HLPF.
 Debrief the VNR project team on the outcomes of the
presentation at the HLPF. This could include a summary of
lessons learned and good practices from other countries which
presented during that session.
 Promote concrete action on priorities contained in the VNR. For
example, convene a cabinet meeting or other appropriate
decision-making body to consider VNR follow-up.
 Develop an action plan/road map covering who, what, where and
when for priority follow-up.
 Consider meeting, where applicable, with the Resident
Coordinator’s Office and the UN Country Team as well as with

51
 bilateral donors on follow-up and support for priorities identified
in the VNR.
 Take initiatives to simplify the review for wider public
consumption.
 Consider presenting an annual report to Parliament on the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
 Consider sharing the VNR and lessons learned at the regional
level.
 Institutionalise the collection of the material for the VNRs.
 Use lessons from the VNR process to refine and enhance
institutional arrangements.
 Consider initiating a decision on preparation and presentation of
a follow-up VNR.

52
Annex 1: VNR preparation checklist
Item Actions

1. Initial  Send letter to the President of ECOSOC to

preparation communicate the decision to conduct a VNR.
and
 Assign responsibility for coordinating and preparing
organisation
the VNR.
 Estimate and identify resources required.
 Consider scope of review. Countries are encouraged
to provide brief information on progress and the
status of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals
 Develop work plan/road map with deliverables
aligned to HLPF deadlines (e.g. submission of Main
Messages, VNR Report and audiovisual materials).
 Map key national actors (e.g. Parliament, line
ministries, national statistical office, local government
officials, stakeholders).
 Prepare draft outline of VNR and develop key
messages. Consider the storyline behind the VNR:
what is your country’s sustainable development
story?
 Assign information- and data-gathering tasks,
including drawing on existing national documents and
previous VNR reports.
 Assign the preparation of infographics, data
visualization etc. for the VNR presentation.

2. Stakeholder  Contact relevant government departments (line

Engagement ministries) and agencies, setting out basic details, e.g.
about the VNR, the information/data requested, and
establishment of a focal point.
 Develop a stakeholder engagement plan which
identifies key stakeholders, and method of
engagement (consider offline and online options).
 Establish awareness-raising and public outreach
component to disseminate avenues for stakeholder

53
 engagement in the VNR process, making use of
government communication services, social media,
etc.
 Make sure targeted efforts are made to reach groups
that are marginalised and at risk of being left behind.

3. VNR  Review and incorporate material received, including

Preparation data, other reports and previous VNRs.
 Follow-up with government colleagues/information
providers to secure missing material or provide
additional analysis.
 Decide on participants for the preparatory global and
regional workshops.
 Prepare zero draft, including identifying remaining
gaps, together with stakeholders.
 Prepare draft of Main Messages (not more than 700
words) for approval and submission to DESA by 1 May
2020.
 Carry out internal review of VNR, including quality
control, allowing time for resolution of possibly
contentious issues.
 Establish comment period and circulate draft to
relevant government officials.
 Provide opportunity for stakeholders to comment and
integrate comments from all national actors and
stakeholders to the greatest extent possible.
 Edit the VNR and arrange for translation into English,
if needed/desirable, and design and layout.
 Submit for endorsement and approval if required (for
example to the Minister, Prime Minister, Cabinet).
 Transmit electronic copy of the VNR to DESA by 12
June 2020.

4. HLPF  Fill out questionnaire on the preferred presentation

Presentation format (panel / individual), presenter, and
composition of delegation, and return to DESA

54
 (deadline will be indicated) for information on HLPF
presentation.
 Produce visual materials for the VNR presentations
and submit to UN DESA by 19 June 2020.
 Select key messages for VNR presentation, with time
limit scheduled for that year in mind.
 Coordinate logistical arrangements with the
Permanent Mission in New York.

55
Annex 2: Secretary-General’s Voluntary common reporting guidelines for VNRs

Voluntary common reporting guidelines for voluntary national reviews at the high-level
political forum for sustainable development (HLPF)

I. Introduction

Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) are the cornerstone
of the follow-up and review framework of the 2030 Agenda. They culminate in a country report to and
presentation at the HLPF. They are most meaningful when they involve an inclusive, participatory,
transparent and thorough review process at the national and sub-national levels, when they are
evidence-based, produce tangible lessons and solutions, and when they are followed by concrete
action and collaboration that drives SDG implementation.

The common reporting guidelines seek to support member states in conducting VNRs. They were
initially prepared by the Secretary-General in December 2015.21 They were first updated in December
2017 to reflect lessons learned during the two years that followed and were most recently updated in
November 2019 taking into account experiences from the first cycle of the HLPF .22 They provide a
framework for certain common elements within reports while allowing for flexibility so countries can
adapt to their own circumstances.23

II. Guiding principles

In paragraph 74 of the 2030 Agenda, Member States identified a number of principles to guide the
follow-up and review process at all levels. In preparing the voluntary national reviews, it is important
that these principles be taken into account:

a) The follow-up and review processes will be voluntary and country-led, will take into account
different national realities, capacities and levels of development and will respect policy space and
priorities. As national ownership is key to achieving sustainable development, the outcome from

21 See annex to Secretary-General’s Report on critical milestones towards coherent, efficient and inclusive follow-
up and review at the global level, A/70/684.
22
See para 8 of resolution 70/299 of 29 July 2016.
23 It is important to note that the UN Development Group in 2017 released guidelines for the preparation of

national SDG reports, with a view to providing coherent support by UN Country Teams in preparing a national SDG
report. While they can serve to complement the present Secretary-General’s voluntary guidelines, it should be
noted that the VNR is different from an SDG progress report, notably due to the extensive consultation process
expected at national level,
https://undg.org/wpcontent/uploads/2017/03/Guidelines-to-Support-Country-Reporting-on-SDGs-1.pdf

56
 national-level processes will be the foundation for reviews at the regional and global levels, given
that the global review will be primarily based on national official data sources.
b) They will track progress in implementing the universal Goals and targets, including the means of
implementation, in all countries in a manner which respects their universal, integrated and
interrelated nature and the three dimensions of sustainable development.
c) They will maintain a longer-term orientation, identify achievements, challenges, gaps and critical
success factors and support countries in making informed policy choices. They will help to mobilize
the necessary means of implementation and partnerships, support the identification of solutions
and best practices and promote the coordination and effectiveness of the international
development system.
d) They will be open, inclusive, participatory and transparent for all people and will support reporting
by all relevant stakeholders.
e) They will be people-centred, gender-sensitive, respect human rights and have a particular focus on
the poorest, most vulnerable and those furthest behind.
f) They will build on existing platforms and processes, where these exist, avoid duplication and
respond to national circumstances, capacities, needs and priorities. They will evolve over time,
taking into account emerging issues and the development of new methodologies, and will
minimize the reporting burden on national administrations.
g) They will be rigorous and based on evidence, informed by country-led evaluations and data which
is high-quality, accessible, timely, reliable and disaggregated by income, sex, age, race, ethnicity,
migration status, disability and geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national
contexts.
h) They will require enhanced capacity-building support for developing countries, including the
strengthening of national data systems and evaluation programmes, particularly in African
countries, least developed countries, small island developing States, landlocked developing
countries and middle-income countries.
i) They will benefit from the active support of the United Nations system and other multilateral
institutions.

III. Structure and content of a report for the HLPF

Countries are encouraged to structure the report along the lines highlighted below, which will give an
overview of the follow-up to the 2030 Agenda and promote consistency and comparability between
reports of different countries. Doing so will also help inform the process of review and generate
reflections on implementation at national, regional and global level. Countries are encouraged to
develop each of the proposed points in a balanced manner.

1. Opening statement. An opening statement by the Head of State or Government, a Minister or other
high-ranking Government official could highlight the current status of SDG progress and how the
Government is responding to the transformative nature of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development including through its national development plans, strategies, policies or other relevant
documents, including sectoral policies and specific action and financial plans. It could highlight
outcomes/results accomplished since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and indicate steps that the
country intends to take to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable

57
 Development as part of the decade of action and delivery launched at the SDG Summit in
September 201924.

2. Highlights. A one-to-two-page synthesis highlighting:

• the core elements of the country-level review process

• the status of SDG implementation based on statistical data, using SDG indicators to the extent
possible and outlining the factors of success or failure to achieve progress
• how the Government has responded to the integrated, indivisible and interlinked nature of
the SDGs and whether that helped address trade-offs and accelerate implementation
• how the Government has responded to the principle of leaving no one behind;
• two or three examples of good practices and lessons learned that may be relevant for other
countries, preferably with a focus on measures with a transformative potential, considering
the interlinkages and synergies among the SDGs
• two or three examples of challenges encountered on which the country wishes to hear about
other countries’ and other stakeholders’ experiences including the United Nations system
• areas where the country would need support in terms of finance, capacity-building, policy
advice, data gathering and analysis, technology, partnerships, etc. It is hoped that this would
lead to mobilizing support through international cooperation and continued
collaboration/twinning with one or more other countries.

3. Introduction. The context and objectives of the review could be presented here. The introduction
may briefly describe key features of the country context as it pertains to the 2030 Agenda, the
national review cycle, and whether and how existing national reports to regional and international
mechanisms have been used. It could outline how the 2030 Agenda was reflected in the national
development plans and strategies and in the financing and budgetary frameworks. It could outline
how the policy architecture supports the implementation of all three dimensions of sustainable
development (economic, social and environmental) and what policies and mechanisms have
enabled this integration. It could highlight links to other international agreements such as the Addis
Ababa Action Agenda, Paris Agreement on Climate Change, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction, Samoa Pathway, Istanbul or Vienna Programme of Action, etc. This could include
describing how synergies among those agreements are being pursued in the national plans so as to
create meet multiple objectives in an efficient manner.

4. Methodology and process for preparation of the review. This section may discuss the methodology
that was adopted for the review, including its scope, depth and limitations and how the principles
on follow-up and review from the 2030 Agenda, including paragraph 74, were used. Information on
the process for preparation of the national review may be presented, including, for example, how
different levels and sectors of Government contributed to the review and whether and how the
whole-of-Government approach was used to work across sectors and institutions in the

24
Political declaration of the high-level political forum on sustainable development convened under the auspices
of the General Assembly adopted on 15 October 2019 (https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/74/4)

58
 implementation of the SDGs25; whether parliaments were engaged; whether national
evaluation/oversight or human rights institutions contributed; what mechanisms have been used to
meaningfully and effectively engage stakeholders from civil society, whether representatives of
vulnerable groups, academia, youth and the business sector and, where applicable, whether the UN
Country Teams were engaged. The section could describe how the national report to the HLPF was
discussed at the national and local level and who was engaged in the discussions. The countries
presenting a VNR for the second and subsequent times could explain how this report builds on
previous one(s) and the most significant changes since the last review.

5. Policy and enabling environment.

(a) Creating ownership of the Sustainable Development Goals and the VNRS. The review could
outline how stakeholders, such as national and local governments; legislative bodies; national
oversight/auditing, human rights or other institutions; the public, civil society and the private sector,
were involved in the implementation and review of the 2030 Agenda, including goals and targets. The
review could address how different groups, particularly women and youth, as well as children, persons
with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, older persons, indigenous peoples, refugees and
internally displaced persons, migrants and other vulnerable groups have been engaged and
contributed to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and how direct engagement of people has
been facilitated.

(b) Incorporation of the Sustainable Development Goals in national frameworks. The review
could outline how the integration of the Goals into the country’s legislation, policies, plans, budgets
and programmes, including the sustainable development strategy, if there is one, has helped with
successful implementation of the SDGs and targets. This would include examining policy coherence
and interlinkages26. The countries are encouraged to be specific in identifying the main challenges and
difficulties experienced in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals as a whole and how they
foresee overcoming these barriers. Specifically, the country may describe how the policy makers are
coordinating through national planning, budgetary, financial and investment processes, for example to
bring about a deeper, faster and more ambitious response to the challenges which their economies
are facing. Countries are encouraged – even in cases of incomplete data – to provide, as far as
possible, an analysis of the causes of their SDG implementation challenges and possible ways forward,
including how the engagement of different actors can help bridge these gaps. Countries could consider
outlining how cities, local authorities and communities have been pursuing the 2030 Agenda and how
they have supported their efforts. Countries could also refer to major efforts undertaken by local
authorities and non-State actors to implement the Goals, the role of scientists and academia in
advising the government and benefits arising from multi-stakeholder partnerships. They are also
encouraged to integrate a gender perspective across all sections of the report.

(c) Integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions. The review might discuss
how the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental) are being

25
Under this heading, countries may wish to report on the national institutional arrangements for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda as
well as the extent of collaboration with governmental structures established to coordinate reporting to other international and regional bodies.
26
In this vein, the review might discuss how analysis, guidance and recommendations from regional and
international mechanisms have been incorporated in national frameworks and policies in support of SDG
implementation

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integrated and how sustainable development policies are being designed and implemented to reflect
such integration including an analysis of the relevant interlinkages among the goals and targets. This
can also include an analysis of progress and initiatives related to the high-level political forum’s theme
for that year.

(d) Leaving no one behind: The review could also assess how the principle of leaving no one behind
has been mainstreamed in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. This would also
address how this principle has been translated into concrete actions for tackling inequalities and
discrimination, as well as efforts to ensure inclusive and effective participation in implementation
efforts. In this regard, the review could detail how the people who are the furthest behind and
vulnerable groups have been identified, including through improved data collection and disaggregation,
as well as what policies and programmes are being implemented to address their needs and support
their empowerment. Countries are encouraged to go beyond social policies and include macroeconomic
policies and technology that impact on the situation of the furthest behind and provide support to the
social, economic inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or
economic or other status. Particular attention should be placed on how national efforts seek to
empower women and girls.

(e) Institutional mechanisms. The review could provide information on how the country has
adapted its institutional framework in light of the 2030 Agenda. This could include information on how
the views of different ministries, agencies, levels of government and non-governmental stakeholders,
including representatives of vulnerable groups, have been mobilized around the 2030 Agenda and how
their views are considered. Countries may also consider including information on the
institution(s)/mechanism(s) in charge of coordination and integration for the implementation of the
2030 Agenda, on their interaction with relevant national bodies, such as the national planning entities,
oversight bodies or national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up. This section could also include a
reflection of how the country has ensured that the institutional mechanisms supporting SDG
implementation are effective, accountable, and inclusive. The review could consider highlighting how
it was possible to successfully mobilize institutions around the Sustainable Development Goals,
improve their functioning-making them more responsive, accountable and transparent- and promote
collaboration and change to achieve policy coherence and integration across sectors. Information may
also be provided on how responsibility is allocated among various levels of Government (national,
subnational and local) for coherent implementation and review of the 2030 Agenda. This section could
highlight what has been done to ensure that relevant data, information and analysis is systematically
gathered, shared, analyzed and used across sectors and how this has helped with implementation of
the SDGs. It would be useful to highlight how the country is reviewing progress in implementing the
Sustainable Development Goals, including mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation of policies and
measures. The review could also highlight whether and how the preparation and follow-up to VNRs is
embedded in these ongoing processes. This may include the preparation of national SDG reports,
supported by the UN Country Team, where applicable.

(f) Structural issues. Countries are encouraged to report on relevant structural issues or barriers
they have faced in implementing the 2030 Agenda, including the possible external consequences of
other countries’ domestic policies on their economy and societies and the impact of their own policies

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on other countries. Countries can highlight the transformative policies, tools, or institutional changes
they have used to address these issues or barriers and avoid trade-offs among the goals.

6. Progress on Goals and targets: Countries are encouraged to provide brief information on progress
and the status of all Sustainable Development Goals. It would be desirable to describe critical
difficulties encountered in reaching them and how they could be addressed, referring to data
provided in a statistical annex. The review could indicate whether a baseline for the Goals has been
defined and, if not, what are the remaining obstacles to doing so. Countries are encouraged to
review all 17 SDGs; however, some could be addressed in more depth, for instance, to illustrate
innovative policies to achieve goals, or examples that could be especially interesting for peer
learning in an international or regional context. The consideration of Goals could focus on trends,
successes, challenges, emerging issues, and lessons learned, and describe what actions have been
taken to address existing gaps and challenges. It could support the identification of gaps, solutions,
best practices, synergies, trade-offs and spillovers and areas requiring advice and support from
other countries or institutions. The review may examine the agreed global indicators for SDGs and
related targets, but countries may also choose to refer to complementary national and regional
indicators. Conclusions presented in this section should be based on said empirical evidence, in
order to have concrete elements to measure progress. Countries presenting their second and
subsequent voluntary national reviews could report on progress made, and specific efforts
undertaken to address findings from the previous review. Countries could identify steps that they
intend to take in the near future and over the coming years to accelerate progress towards the 2030
Agenda, as a result of the Decade of Action and delivery for the SDGs launched at the SDG Summit in
September 2019.
7. Means of implementation: Based on the above challenges and trends highlighted, the review may
discuss how the means of implementation (financing, technology, capacity building, etc.) are
mobilized, what difficulties this process faces, and what resources are needed to implement the
2030 Agenda, looking at the full range of financing sources (public/private, domestic/international)
and non-financing means of implementation, such as capacity development and data needs,
technology, and partnerships. Countries could elaborate on their financing strategy / integrated
national financing framework where applicable, and the appropriate policies and reforms in place to
finance their strategy. The review could indicate how financial systems, statistical data and resource
allocations are being aligned to support the realization of the 2030 Agenda and its pledge to leave
no one behind. Coverage of domestic resource mobilization could include the contribution of the
private sector. Experiences with gender responsive budgeting, where applicable, should be
reflected. Countries are also encouraged to cover technology, identify concrete technology and
capacity development and data needs, and the contribution of multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Countries could also provide an overview of the institutional set-up and coordination mechanisms
(intra-government and with other stakeholders) which help implement the financing strategy.
Donor countries could describe how they have reviewed their development cooperation guidance to
align with the 2030 Agenda.
8. Conclusion and next steps. Based on the outcomes of the review, the country could outline
what steps are planned to enhance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, notably as part of the
Decade of Action for sustainable development. It could also indicate how it is planned to keep the
Goals under review at the national and sub-national levels, including dissemination of VNRs and

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 other national reviews and their findings. It could highlight what lessons the country has learned
from the review process, how it will apply them in the continuing implementation and what support
it would need in the future for preparing such reviews.

Annexes. Countries are encouraged to include an annex with data, using the global Sustainable
Development Goal indicators and adding priority indicators identified at the regional and national levels
where appropriate. They may highlight whether statistics, including gender statistics, were collected
from the national statistical system and pinpoint major gaps in official statistics on indicators. Countries
may want to include additional annexes where they would showcase best practices and/or policies and
strategies that has advanced implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Countries might consider including an
annex specifically on interlinkages between the goals and targets as well as the global impacts of
national actions (spillover). They could also include a list of all the actors consulted in the preparation of
the report. They could also include comments from stakeholders on the report in an annex. If countries
so wish, they can send other reports to DESA for posting on their national page in the VNR database,
including complementary reports by stakeholders.

IV. Making presentations at the HLPF

Under the current modalities, the time provided for countries to present at the HLPF is limited.
Countries may therefore wish to consider a number of options when conducting their presentations at
the HLPF:
• Submit their written report well in advance of the HLPF to inform a substantive interactive
debate at the HLPF
• Use focused infographics, data visualization, and meaningful focused videos, to communicate
complex messages related to SDG implementation (such as VNR preparatory process, linkages,
priorities, innovations, progress and challenges) in a very short period of time;
• Providing space for stakeholders such as civil society, youth and the private sector to share their
contributions to and views on SDG progress in the country.
• Working informally with other presenting countries in advance to compare review processes and
findings, for example voluntary twinning for peer learning.
• Making best use of the allocated time during the HLPF to allow for interactive discussions and
questions and answers, which can strengthen peer learning and exchange of best practices. This
may include written questions and answers.
• Consider actively using the regional sustainable development forums in the five regions as a
preparatory step to share progress and challenges and best practices on the preparation of the
VNRs and reflect on the follow-up to the VNRs.

The ECOSOC President has created a group of countries that are “friends of VNRs” and will prepare the
discussions on specific VNRs at the HLPF.
Countries may also wish to consider how best to use the time around the formal meetings of the HLPF
to further engage on the lessons emerging from the review process and seek feedback on their VNRs,
including through actively participating in special events, and VNR Labs, and by co-organizing side
events. Presenting countries are encouraged to make sure that their presentation panels are gender-
balanced.

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