The UN Secretariat has issued a note (E/HLPF/2026/5) compiling the main messages for 36 voluntary national reviews (VNRs) to be presented at the 2026 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July. The report is available in an advance unedited version.
There are no first-time VNR presenters in 2026.
Twelve countries – Albania, Algeria, Burundi, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Mozambique, Moldova, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Somalia, and Tonga – will carry out their VNRs for the second time.
Twenty countries – Bahrain, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Estonia, Guinea, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Malawi, Norway, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Tanzania – are third-time presenters.
Egypt and Switzerland will present their fourth VNRs. Togo and Uruguay – their fifth.
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The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development invites countries to prepare VNRs to facilitate the sharing of national experiences, including successes, challenges, and lessons learned, with a view to accelerating implementation of the SDGs. The “main messages” provide a brief overview of more comprehensive review documents that are developed by countries to report on SDG implementation efforts during the HLPF.
Algeria reports that its strategy for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development “relies on a model of inclusive growth, efficient and people-centered public institutions, and sovereignty over development pathways.” The country “prioritizes economic diversification, social equity and environmental sustainability while advocating for a fairer global development system.”
Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, the DRC, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania, Togo, and Tunisia are the other VNR presenters from the African Group.
Bahrain affirms its commitment to being “a principled voice for multilateralism,” outlines its efforts to is future-proof its economy by equipping its people with knowledge and skills, and presents its National Energy Strategy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2060, diversifying the energy mix and improving efficiency through investment in renewable energy, smart grids, and energy storage.
The other 2026 presenters from the Asia-Pacific Group are Jordan, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Saudi Arabia, Tonga, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Brazil’s 2026 VNR presents a proposal “to radicalize the concept of leaving no one behind through a coordinated set of policies promoting equity and tax justice, with profound and lasting socio-environmental distributive effects.” It notes that its “National Care Plan institutionalizes care as a right and reorganizes social protection priorities.”
The other countries from the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) presenting their VNRs in 2026 are Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Uruguay.
Estonia highlights its national long-term development strategy that has enabled the integration of the SDGs into sectoral strategies “in a stronger and systemized manner.” The country remains committed to the 2030 Agenda and will continue using the VNR as a vehicle to highlight its efforts both domestically and internationally.
The other two Eastern European State presenting their VNRs in 2026 are Albania and Moldova.
Italy’s VNR reaffirms the importance of pursuing innovations in governance, policymaking, and impact assessment as well as in advancing international partnerships for sustainable development. Italy “strongly advocates for territories and young generations to be our guides into the future of sustainable development.”
Norway and Switzerland are the other two 2026 presenters from the Western European and Others Group (WEOG).
According to the 2026 edition of the ‘Handbook for the Preparation of Voluntary National Reviews’ by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the full VNR reports should be submitted in electronic format by 8 June 2026. Main messages from the 36 countries that will present their VNR in 2026, as well as the underlying review documents, are available via the UN’s HLPF database. [Publication: Advance Unedited Version: Compilation of Main Messages for the 2026 Voluntary National Reviews]