Voluntary Local Review Declaration - Mayor's Office of International Affairs

Mayor's Office for International Affairs


Voluntary Local Review Declaration

The New Yorkness of the UN
Connecting Local to Global
Global Vision | Urban Action

The New Yorkness of the UN

Connecting Local to Global

Global Vision | Urban Action


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