Progressing National SDGs Implementation: An independent assessment of the Voluntary National Review reports submitted to the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in 2019

In September 2019, heads of state and government around the world came together for the first time since 2015 at the SDG Summit to commit to a Decade of Action and Delivery to realize the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The fifteen-year agenda for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership enters its fifth year in 2020, and it is hoped that governments will respond with accelerator actions and transformative change to meet their commitments for 2030 to ensure that no one is left behind.

For the past four years, civil society organizations, including Save the Children, have reviewed reporting by governments to the United Nations’ High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The Voluntary National Review (VNR) reports submitted by governments as part of the follow-up and review processes indicate the status of 2030 Agenda implementation. These reports are to be prepared through inclusive and participatory processes, serve as a source of information on good practices, lessons learned and challenges in implementation and provide a basis for peer learning and accountability at the global level. The review of the 47 VNR reports submitted to the HLPF in 2019 revealed a range of good practices and trends in implementation and reporting, many of which are positive, some of which are cause for concern.

The Progressing National SDGs Implementation report covers all aspects of 2030 Agenda implementation through an examination of governance and institutional arrangements, stakeholder engagement, policies, the means of implementation and reporting. Key findings, good practice case studies, emerging best practices, and recommendations are presented throughout the report.