What Happens After the VLR? A conversation about the transformative impact of SDG localization and voluntary local reporting
Co-hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, this side event at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development explores how Voluntary Local Reviews impact community resilience and transformative change.
Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) have become an established means of reporting on local SDG progress to an international audience, to share lessons learned, and build partnerships with international peers. Many cities and local governments have used VLRs to show how they are building back better after COVID and how they make progress on local objectives contributing to multiple SDGs.
Localizing the SDGs through VLRs can transform local decision making through stakeholder engagement and by providing a trusted source of data and other evidence. These investments pay dividends as more stakeholders have access to validated information and decision making. Participatory VLR reporting can change the local political culture towards more transparent and evidence-based deliberation about objectives of community wellbeing in the context of the SDGs.
Several cities have already produced two or more VLRs, providing another indication of their long-term impact. We invite diverse representatives from cities that were early adaptors of VLRs and VLR newcomers for a moderated conversation on the long-term benefits of SDG localization, focusing on how localization can make communities resilient against shocks and lay the groundwork for transformative change. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with speakers and make suggestions for follow up conversations through an online survey.
Featuring interventions from:
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Mariana Cammisa, International Cooperation Manager, Buenos Aires City Government
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Masahiro Nishikawa, Director of Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas
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Reynald Maeda, Executive Director, UN Association of Tanzania
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Martino Miraglia, Human Settlements Officer, SDG Localization and Local Governments, UN-Habitat
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Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener, ON, Canada and UCLG Co-President
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Barbara Pons-Giner, Commission for strategic projects and the 2030 Agenda, Barcelona City Council
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