Localizing the SDGs

The Global Observatory on Local Democracy and Decentralization (GOLD) is committed to localizing the SDGs, the 2030 Agenda and the other major global agendas. With the start of the SDG acceleration decade, the GOLD is putting its efforts into supporting local and regional governments in the processes of monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), on behalf of the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, has already facilitated and presented five reports called ‘Towards the localization of the SDGs’ at the United Nations' High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development that takes place yearly in New York. Other initiatives include developing and disseminating materials, participating in discussion groups and directly supporting local and regional authorities in their efforts to localize the SDGs and, particularly, monitoring and reporting on the achievements and challenges.

Country-wide, bottom-up Voluntary Subnational Reviews (VSRs) and Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) are becoming crucial tools with which local and regional governments report on the state of SDG localization in their territories. Through the publication of the two volumes of the ‘Guidelines for VLRs’ along with UN-Habitat and the ‘Guidelines for VSRs’ with the CIB Working Group; the facilitation of the communities of practice on local SDG reporting; and the publication of the ‘Comparative study on SDG monitoring systems at local and regional levels’ with several partners, the GOLD, consistent with the overarching strategy of UCLG, aspires to contribute to achieving the SDGs and empowering local and regional governments in their endeavour. 
 

Abstract based on original resource.