21 February 2019: As of 21 February 2019, 15 countries have committed to present a Voluntary National Review (VNR) during the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in 2020. Seven of the 15 will be presenting a second VNR, while eight will be presenting for the first time.

The HLPF meets each July under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), with a substantial part of the programme devoted to hearing and discussing the experiences of national governments as they work to implement the 2030 Agenda in their countries.

The countries that will present a VNR for the first time in 2020 are: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Libya, the Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine and Zambia. The countries that will present a second VNR are: Argentina, Costa Rica, Finland, Honduras, Jordan, Peru and Slovenia.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development specifies, in paragraph 79, that Member States should “conduct regular and inclusive reviews of progress at the national and sub-national levels, which are country-led and country-driven.” These reviews are supposed to draw on contributions from Indigenous peoples, civil society, the private sector and other stakeholders, “in line with national circumstances, policies and priorities.” National parliaments and other institutions “can also support these processes.”

The 2030 Agenda also indicates, in paragraph 84, that when the HLPF is meeting under the auspices of ECOSOC, it shall carry out regular reviews that are voluntary and state-led, involving ministerial and other relevant high-level participants, and involve developed and developing countries. The reviews are also to “provide a platform for partnerships, including through the participation of major groups and other relevant stakeholders.”

According to the UN’s VNR database, 51 countries are planning to present their VNRs in 2019. With the addition of the 15 countries that have volunteered to present in 2020, a total of 177 VNRs will have been presented to the HLPF since 2016. [UN VNR Database] [SDG Knowledge Hub story about HLPF 2019 VNR countries] [Independent assessment of VNRs presented in 2018]