2026 VLR-VSR Days
Held on 8 and 9 July in the framework of the 2026 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
08 Jul - 09 Jul 2026 | on Zoom (online sessions)
ProgrammeIntroduction
Co-organized by UCLG, UN-Habitat, UNDESA and the Local2030 Coalition.
Details
Welcome to the VLR-VSR Days webpage!
Be part of the change!
Join us for the fifth edition of the VLR–VSR Days, happening on 8–9 July 2026 in the framework of the High-Level Political Forum. Coorganized by UCLG, UN-Habitat, UNDESA and the Local2030 Coalition this global gathering is all about unlocking the power of Voluntary Local and Subnational Reviews (VLRs and VSRs) to drive SDG localization forward.
This year’s event will bring together local and regional governments, their networks, national authorities, international bodies, and key development partners to tackle a crucial question: How can we make sure that VLRs and VSRs become catalysts for better public service provision, more inclusive and future oriented local governance, and foster strong multilevel coordination?
Let’s work together to transform reviews into results—and ambition into action.
Background:
Over the past years, Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) and Voluntary Subnational Reviews (VSRs) have emerged as powerful processes for advancing SDG localization. What began as an innovative approach to local reporting has evolved into a global movement. Today, more than 500 VLRs and 50 VSRs have been produced by local and regional governments and their associations across all regions of the world, demonstrating their growing commitment to monitor, accelerate, and communicate progress towards sustainable development.
Importantly, the impact of VLRs and VSRs extends beyond the reviews themselves. They have played a key role in positioning local and regional governments, and local action more broadly, at the forefront of global efforts to achieve the SDGs. With VLRs and VSRs, local and regional governments are restructuring local governance to deliver better public services like water, sanitation, housing, mobility and energy, and respond to the needs of their communities. In many cases, they have also served to strengthen local democracy and as entry points for broader institutional reforms, helping embed sustainable development principles into local governance systems and public service delivery.
Additionally, by providing concrete evidence of local progress, challenges, and solutions, VLRs and VSRs have elevated local perspectives within national and international policy discussions and strengthened recognition of local and regional governments as essential partners in sustainable development. This growing recognition is reflected in the increasingly strong connections between Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), VLRs, and VSRs, which are creating new opportunities for multilevel governance, policy coherence, and collaborative implementation. Across countries, local and regional perspectives are slowly but increasingly informing national reporting processes, while national frameworks are providing stronger enabling environments for local action.
Finally, beyond their growing number, VLRs and VSRs are generating tangible benefits for local and regional governments and their communities beyond their publication. Across regions, these processes have helped strengthen the use of data and evidence in decision-making, align local development plans and budgets with the SDGs, enhance coordination across sectors and levels of government, and foster more inclusive engagement with civil society, academia, youth, and the private sector. In doing so, they have proven to be transformative and future-oriented tools not only for sustainable development, but also in all sectors of local and regional governance.
Nonetheless, local and regional governments and their associations still face political, legal and financial obstacles that limit their ability to fully harness the transformative potential of VLRs and VSRs. This includes incomplete decentralization frameworks, insufficient funding, the still too low recognition of their efforts (including VLRs and VSRs) in national policies and the insufficient inclusion of these institutions in the national decision making bodies for sustainable development.
As the VLR and VSR movement enters a new phase of maturity, and as the VLR-VSR Days reach their fifth edition, it is timely to take stock of progress achieved, reflect on lessons learned and persistent challenges, and explore which changes are needed so that these instruments can continue driving transformative change in the years ahead.
The question is no longer whether VLRs and VSRs matter, but how their growing influence can be leveraged to accelerate implementation during the final stretch towards 2030. From improving public service delivery and strengthening democratic governance to mobilizing partnerships and informing long-term territorial planning, VLRs and VSRs have demonstrated their potential to act as catalysts for sustainable development across all levels of governance.
Held during the 2026 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the fifth edition of the VLR-VSR Days will provide a space for local, regional, national, and international stakeholders to reflect on the evolution of the movement and identify priorities for the final stretch towards 2030.
Objective of the session:
The fifth edition of the VLR-VSR Days aims to:
Take stock of the evolution, achievements, and lessons learned from the global VLR and VSR movement, reflecting on its contribution to SDG localization over the past years;
Examine how VLRs and VSRs have contributed to elevating local and regional governments as key actors in sustainable development and strengthening the role of local action within global SDG processes;
Showcase how VLRs and VSRs are strengthening local governance, improving public service delivery, and accelerating progress on the SDGs under review at the 2026 HLPF, particularly SDGs 6, 7, 9 and 11;
Advance the institutionalization of the VNR-VLR-VSR connection as a mechanism for inclusive multilevel and multistakeholder governance, policy coherence, and collaborative implementation across all levels of government;
Explore pathways for translating VLR and VSR findings into long-term planning, budgeting, investment, monitoring, and governance frameworks, ensuring their impact extends beyond reporting and contributes to sustainable transformation;
Identify challenges and gaps in leveraging VLRs and VSRs for SDG localization, and generate key messages, solutions and recommendations to inform discussions at the 2026 HLPF and support accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda and beyond.
This edition seeks to elevate our collective ambition, both in how we learn from one another and in how we strengthen SDG implementation across all levels of governance. Designed to be interactive, cross-cutting, and solution-oriented, the event will bring together a diverse mix of stakeholders.
Sessions will encourage active participation, open dialogue, and the co-creation of knowledge. It will also explore what kind of enabling environment is needed to make VLR and VSR results actionable, whether through capacity development, financing, institutionalization, or policy support, so that the transformation they outline is fully realized.
Agenda:
The 5th edition of the VLR-VSR Days will be held online during the 2026 HLPF (7-15 July), allowing key messages to feed directly into the global conversation. The sessions will take place on 8 and 9 July 2026.
With this mindset, the 5th edition of the VLR-VSR Days will be composed of the following sessions:.
📅 Session 1 (Wednesday, 8 July - 14:00 to 15:30 CEST): Official Opening + VLRs and VSRs as Catalyzers for Better Local Public Services: SDGs 6, 7, 9, and 11
📅 Session 2 (Wednesday, 8 July - 15:45 to 17:00 CEST): Institutionalizing the VNR–VLR–VSR Connection through Multilevel Governance and Partnerships
📅 Session 3 (Thursday, 9 July - 14:00 to 15:30 CEST): Accelerating SDG Implementation at Local Level: Post-VLR and VSR Action + Official Closing
Let’s spark ideas, share solutions and shape the future — see you there!
Still got questions? Contact gold@uclg.org from the UCLG World Secretariat and marta.rodomasriera@un.org from UN-Habitat for more information.
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