Circular
26/2023
Barcelona, 14 July 2023
 
To the members of the World Council
To the Secretaries General
To the Vice-Presidents of United Cities and Local Governments
To the Chairs of UCLG Committees, Working Groups, Communities of Practice and Fora

For information: To the Presidency

Report on the progress of the localization of the 2030 Agenda 
Local and Regional Governments’ Day 

 

Dear members,

The 7th annual report of the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments (GTF), facilitated by UCLG, has been launched at the Local and Regional Governments’ Day, during the High Level Political Forum (HLPF).
 
This year’s edition of the “Towards the localization of the SDGs” report presents the state of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the local level around the world thanks to the involvement of all the network, and importantly, to the contributions of LRGs across the world collected through the GTF annual survey on SDG localization.
 
The report provides an understanding of how enabling institutional environments are for SDG localization in the countries that are presenting their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) this year, shedding light on how LRGs participate in national coordination and reporting processes and the evolution of this participation since 2016. It also provides an extensive overview of how LRGs are aligning their local policy making instruments with the 2030 Agenda and raising awareness of its critical importance.
 
The report explores SDG 11 localization across the globe through five thematic papers, including experiences from 105 LRGs worldwide:

• Paper 1 focuses on promoting adequate housing and basic services;
• Paper 2 highlights feminist approaches in urban planning policies for accessibility, proximity and civic participation;
• Paper 3 discusses LRGs' pathways to environmental justice;
• Paper 4 proposes leveraging culture and heritage for fulfilling the SDGs;
• Paper 5 underscores the need for balanced urban systems and multilevel governance.

 Moreover, the report spotlights the 11 new Voluntary Subnational Reviews (VSRs) that have been developed this year by the local and regional government associations of Cambodia, Chile, Comoros, Ecuador, Flanders (Belgium), Iceland, Kenya, Romania, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia. It also provides a snapshot of the current state of the Voluntary Local Reviews’ (VLRs) movement, as the total number of available VLRs exceeds 240.
 
In addition, the second edition of the Country Profiles on SDG Localization has been published, featuring 44 new profiles and 181 in total. The Profiles provide a brief country-by-country analysis of coordination and reporting processes related to the 2030 Agenda, highlighting localization strategies and the modalities of involvement of LRGs.
 
Finally, we take the opportunity to remind you of the VLR-VSR Days and reiterate our invitation to join. These Days are co-organized with UN-Habitat and UNDESA. After the official launch during the LRG Day on 13 July, four online thematic sessions will take place on Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 July, between 13:30h and 16:45h CEST and between 13:30h 17:15h CEST, respectively. You can find all information here.
 
With 7 years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda commitments, strengthening the localization of the SDGs is critical, for which information on its progress and remaining challenges like the one provided by the new GTF’s “Towards the Localization of the SDGs” report and the Country Profiles is essential.

Sincerely,

The UCLG World Secretariat