52 Guidelines for Voluntary Local Reviews
producing their own VLR in those countries.
4 The global ‘ecosystem’ supporting SDG localization
the country’s VNR. Moreover, UNECA, in collaboration with UN-Habitat and UCLG
In March 2021, UNESCAP, together with
Africa, has been fostering this collaborative
UNDESA, organized a VNR-VLR Lab as
framework through the development of the
an associate event of the 8th APFSD. The
regional guidelines on VLRs (see Insight Box
event brought together Member States’
1 in Section 2.1 above), whose draft was
representatives as well as mayors and local
presented at the 2021 Regional Forum, in
government officials from the region to
March 2021.
discuss the means to strengthen integration between VNRs and VLRs. Since 2019,
In the Arab region, the United Nations
UN-ESCAP, UN-Habitat and UCLG-ASPAC,
Economic
in collaboration with the United Nations
for
University, the Institute for the Advanced
acknowledged
Study
the
context and weak national-local structural
Association of Pacific Rim Universities
linkages affecting policy coherence on
(APRU) and Japan’s IGES, have run the Asia-
sustainable urban development. Noting that
an institution
the Arab region is one of the most urbanized
of
Sustainability
Pacific Mayors’ Academy,
(UNU-IAS),
93
and
Western
Social
Asia the
Commission
(UNESCWA)97 regional
has
challenging
that engages newly-elected city mayors and
regions
governors in capacity-building activities,
development challenges, the commission
introducing them and their communities to
considers the VLRs as powerful tools to
the SDGs. VLRs are now fully integrated in
advance the localization of the SDGs and
the academy’s curriculum with a dedicated
as drivers of innovation and a source of
stand-alone module. UNESCAP is currently
information that could change the approach
developing an e-learning tool to provide
to the national review. No VLR for an Arab
tailored guidance on the VLRs. The tool
city has been officially producedto date,
will also act as a platform for local and
however, even though in the Arab region
national stakeholders to engage and share
cities are inevitably carrying a large part
experiences and lessons learnt from their
of the socio-economic burden affecting
VLR journey with their peers.
sustainable development. VLRs can expose
in
the
world
with
numerous
the positive impact of local governments’ The African context has also experienced
initiatives on development and bring them
a growing interest in SDG localization
to the centre of attention at the national and
and VLRs. The African Regional Forum
regional levels. VLRs can equally increase the
94
on Sustainable Development (ARFSD),
awareness of national governments of the
organized by the United Nations Economic
untapped potential of implementation and
Commission for Africa (UNECA),95 has
monitoring capacity that subnational (local)
shown a strong commitment from the
governments
national level to increase the engagement of
UNESCWA and UN-Habitat are currently
local government in the forum’s scope and
supporting the Greater Amman Municipality
proceedings, as well as to strengthen their
(GAM) in close collaboration with the
94
work on VLRs. The ARFSD has increasingly
Ministry of Local Development and relevant
Session convened in Brazzaville on March
featured
collaboration
stakeholders in developing its VLR. This
1–4, 2021 — are available online: https://
between national and local representatives.
support is also being extended to the city of
UNECA has been supporting several cities
Rabat, in Morocco. The VLR process in the
in the development of their VLRs96 and
region is expected to increase awareness
promoted a stronger link with reporting at
of more local governments on the process
the national level. The VLR of Ngora District
and advocate for the VLRs as a policy-
discussion
and
in Uganda, for instance, was included in
can
provide.
Accordingly,
innovation tool. The results of these first
93
More information available online: https://
www.asiapacificmayorsacademy.org/. More details on the event — whose 7th
www.uneca.org/arfsd2021. 95
More information on the regional
commission and its activities is available online: https://www.uneca.org/. 96
These include: Yaoundé, Accra, Victoria
Falls, Harare and Ngora District. 97
More information on UN-ESCWA and its
work in the region: https://www.unescwa. org/.