Voluntary Local Review Declaration

During the United Nations General Assembly in September 2019, New York City launched the Voluntary Local Review (VLR) Declaration for local and regional governments worldwide to formally commit to report their local progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Since then, more than 330 local and regional governments have joined the movement.

Voluntary Local Review Declaration Text

We, the representatives of local and regional governments, express our commitment to advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 associated targets unanimously adopted by United Nations Member States at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015.

We pledge to use the framework of the SDGs to do our part to help end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and work to prevent the harmful effects of climate change by 2030.

We appreciate the 2030 Agenda's recognition of the critical role of local authorities, noting that we are on the front lines of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and in this effort we have a unique ability to establish cooperation with key sectors of societies and people working toward the establishment of a new and equitable global partnership that can more efficiently advance the 2030 Agenda.

We look forward to local and regional governments joining the City of New York in submitting directly to the United Nations a Voluntary Local Review of local progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

By signing the Voluntary Local Review Declaration, we agree to the following nonbinding commitments, acknowledging that each signatory will take into consideration their individual structure, data management procedures, and other local dynamics in order to use the Sustainable Development Goals as a common language to discuss our priorities in concrete terms, and identify areas where we can share and acquire knowledge:

In September 2019, NYC launched the Voluntary Local Review (VLR) Declaration for local and regional governments worldwide to formally commit to reporting on the SDGs, using existing resources to ensure a low barrier to entry. The declaration consists of three key commitments:

Commitment 1: To identify how existing strategies, programs, data, and targets align with the Sustainable Development Goals

Commitment 2: To provide at least one forum where stakeholders can come together to share experiences, lessons learned, and information gathered using the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals

Commitment 3: To submit a Voluntary Local Review to the United Nations during the United Nations High-Level Political Forum

We pledge to cooperate in good faith and in a spirit of partnership to work toward the fulfilment of the principles embodied in this Declaration.

Voluntary Local Review Declaration Signatories (As of November 2021)

• Kabul City, Afghanistan – March 2020
• San Justo, Argentina – February 2020      
• Tandil, Argentina – February 2020
• Santa Fe, Argentina – September 2019
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – September 2019   
• Melbourne, Australia – April 2021
• Brussels-Capital Region (19 municipalities), Belgium – February 2020
• Ghent, Belgium – December 2020
• Barcarena, Brazil – September 2019
• Barueri, Brazil – October 2021
• Santana de Parnaíba, Brazil – September 2019
• São Paulo, Brazil – May 2020
• Taquari, Brazil – January 2020 
• Afogados de Ingazeira, Brazil – January 2020
• The State of Pará (144 municipalities), Brazil – April 2020
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – March 2021
• Guangzhou, China – July 2020
• Yiwu, China – July 2020
• Barranquilla, Colombia – May 2021 
• Manizales, Colombia – June 2021
• Santa Ana, Costa Rica – September 2019
• Bristol, England – September 2019
• Liverpool, England – September 2020
• Helsinki, Finland – September 2019
• Turku, Finland – January 2020
• Espoo, Finland – January 2020
• Vantaa, Finland – June 2021
• Bonn, Germany – June 2020
• Mannheim, Germany – September 2019
• Accra, Ghana – September 2019
• Georgetown, Guyana – September 2019
• Fukuoka, Japan – October 2019
• Yokohama, Japan – September 2019
• Tokyo, Japan – July 2021
• Amman, Jordan – September 2019
• Turkestan, Kazakhstan – February 2020
• Betio, Kiribati – February 2020
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – February 2020 
• Seberang Perai, Malaysia – February 2020
• Tawau, Malaysia – February 2020
• Acapulco de Juarez, Mexico – February 2020
• State of Yucatan, Mexico (106 municipalities) – June 2021
• Rabat, Morocco – February 2020
• Dhankuta, Nepal – February 2020
• Asker, Norway – February 2020
• Bauang, Philippines- February 2020
• City of Sipalay, Philippines – February 2020
• Cascais, Portugal – July 2021
• Rostov-on-don, Russia – February 2020
• Kazan, Russia – September 2019  
• Freetown, Sierra Leone – September 2019
• Bratislava, Slovak Republic – July 2020
• Honiara City, Solomon Islands – March 2020
• Cape Town, South Africa – September 2019
• Barcelona, Spain – September 2019
• Basque Country, Spain – February 2021
• Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain – February 2020
• Helsingborg, Sweden – May 2021
• Malmo, Sweden – September 2019
• Stockholm, Sweden – September 2019
• Uppsala, Sweden – February 2021
• Geneva, Switzerland – May 2021
• New Taipei City, Taiwan – April 2020
• Lira City, Uganda – February 2020
• Los Angeles, United States of America – September 2019
• Rochester Hills, United States or America - September 2020
• Orlando, United States of America - September 2019
• Montevideo, Uruguay – September 2019

Validators

• Brookings Institution
• Global Citizen
• C40
• Hilton Foundation
• Project Everyone
• UN-Habitat
• UN Foundation