Events

Convened by:

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), UN Statistics Division, UN Foundation, Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and Data2X

Participants:

Countries presenting VNRs in 2023 with at least 2 country representatives from a) team responsible for VNR development (mostly Ministry of Planning) and b) National Statistical Offices as well as some economists and data officers from the UN RCOs.

Summary:

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. Effective follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda is essential for renewed action and progress in achieving the 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 and will continue to show the way forward and provide an essential source of lessons learned and experience sharing. The year 2023 is a pivotal year for the SDGs; not only is it a midway point towards the 2030 Agenda, but with the SDG Summit happening later in the year, it is an opportunity to reset and accelerate the progress towards the SDGs despite global challenges. VNRs will play a critical role in this process.

In order to foster learning for the 2023 VNR countries, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), UN Statistics Division, UN Foundation, Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and Data2X hosted a virtual peer exchange to provide a space for countries to learn from one another and to identify best practices in developing their VNRs.