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Conclusions, recommendations and next steps This report provides an overview of the involvement of local and regional governments in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. It aims at complementing the information presented by national governments in their Voluntary National Reviews, by analysing the experiences that sub-national governments have reported directly. This document covers 65 countries, representing in total over 5.2 billion people, 70% of the world’s population and more than 400,000 local and regional governments. A meaningful political commitment from local and regional leaders This report is a collective effort by LRG associations and networks to give visibility to the vision of the LRG constituency on the ‘localization’ of the SDGs. It aims to contribute to the accomplishment of the global agendas, following the pledge of the Bogotá Commitment (adopted at the 2016 UCLG Congress) and the 2nd World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments, held in Quito in October 2016. The analysis shows that LRGs are integrating the SDGs (or have committed to do so) in their strategies, multi-annual plans and daily initiatives. In general, LRGs with a history of involvement and commitment in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Local Agenda 21 or a positive track record in international cooperation have more effectively committed to the achievement of the new global agenda. Improvements across the board are still uneven, but LRGs in more than 25 countries – out of 63 that have reported to the UN in 2016 and 2017 – have made progress. The brief analysis of SDGs 1, 2, 5 and 14 conducted in Section 5.3 shows a few examples of the policies carried out to reduce urban poverty, end hunger and improve nutrition, foster gender equality and protect coastal areas. Regional and local awareness and ownership are progressing but remain uneven As the report shows, the level of actual involvement of LRGs in the ‘localization’ of the SDGs is growing in several regions. In some countries, LRGs are actually taking the reins of the process while national governments are still attempting to define their overall strategy, and some are doing so even though their national governments are withdrawing from international agreements, as it happened in the United States on the Paris climate change accord. Outreach processes, on the whole, need to be strengthened and accelerated. LRG associations, larger cities and regions have a strategic role In reporting countries, the role of local and regional government associations (LGAs) and networks has been decisive in improving the mobilization of LRGs. Many metropolitan areas and regions are making significant progress and have already become drivers of positive change. The role of global networks was also crucial in ensuring the exchange of information exchange and widespread commitment to the SDGs at the regional and international levels. National governments should play a guiding role Political initiative by national governments remains essential to foster the process of implementation, especially in countries with more centralized governance traditions or systems of government. Public awareness and local assimilation of the goals can be reinforced through the joint efforts of LRGs, national governments, civil society, and international organizations. Both high-level political support on the global stage and the guiding ambition of national governments are perceived as critical imperatives to improve local awareness.87
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87 The information was provided by the LRG associations of Denmark and the Netherlands. See also: Kaleidos (2016) Global Goals, Local Action? Approaches of Dutch Local Governments to the SDG.