By Nelya Rakhimova, Executive Director at RAD Platform e.V.

The First Global VNR Workshop demonstrated that VNRs are evolving from reporting instruments into strategic governance tools. As countries prepare for the 2026 VNR cycle, the emphasis is increasingly on learning, honesty, participation, and forward-looking analysis – key elements for ensuring that VNRs remain relevant in the final stretch toward 2030 and beyond.

The two-day workshop, which brought together countries preparing to present their VNRs at the 2026 UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), offered a space to reflect on lessons learned over the past decade of VNR practice, exchange practical experiences among peers, and explore emerging challenges and innovations in VNR preparation. Discussions were firmly grounded in practice, combining country experiences with methodological guidance and thematic deep dives.

Setting the scene: Learning from past VNR cycles

The workshop opened with reflections on expectations and previous VNR experiences. Participants discussed recurring challenges in coordination, data availability, stakeholder engagement, and maintaining momentum beyond the HLPF presentation. Countries shared how institutional arrangements had evolved since earlier VNR cycles and where gaps persist. 

Germany presented its 2025 VNR as a best practice example, demonstrating how a VNR can be anchored in a long-term national framework rather than treated as a standalone reporting exercise. The review is firmly grounded in the German Sustainable Development Strategy 2025 (GSDS 2025), which serves as the national roadmap for implementing the 2030 Agenda and is explicitly linked to the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) as a methodological reference. 

Following GSDR recommendations, Germany identified six areas of transformation and five high-leverage policy areas to clarify SDG synergies and trade-offs and focus attention on priority needs for change. The presentation also highlighted Germany’s strong commitment to participation and multi-actor ownership, with extensive involvement of civil society, academia, business, regions and municipalities, and young people throughout the entire VNR cycle. 

Germany’s VNR demonstrated a candid approach to governance realities, emphasizing flexibility in implementation in times of political change and openly acknowledging the need to manage trade-offs. The presentation illustrated how VNRs can be framed within a longer-term perspective, linking current implementation to priorities beyond 2030 and reaffirming core principles such as leaving no one behind (LNOB), universality, integrated approaches, and accountability.

Data, statistics, and evidence-based reporting

A significant portion of the workshop focused on statistics and data. Participants discussed how to organize data collection processes, strengthen collaboration with national statistical offices, and present data in ways that clearly demonstrate both progress and persistent challenges in SDG implementation. Emphasis was placed on moving beyond data compilation toward analytical use of evidence that supports policy learning and decision making.

Sessions addressed the technical and institutional dimensions of evidence-based VNRs, including data disaggregation, quality assurance, and the integration of non-traditional data sources where official statistics remain limited.

Leaving no one behind and stakeholder engagement

The second day of the workshop emphasized the LNOB principle and stakeholder engagement as core components of credible VNRs. Participants noted that youth engagement has become the most consistently recognized and institutionalized form of stakeholder participation across countries. At the same time, Major Groups and other Stakeholders highlighted the need for broader recognition and more systematic inclusion of stakeholder groups throughout the VNR preparation process.

Participants identified awareness raising and accessibility of information about the VNR process as critical enablers of meaningful engagement. Sessions on communication explored how countries can build a clear VNR narrative, use storytelling and data visualization, and make VNRs more accessible to the public and non-technical audiences. Brazil presented its online communication tools that have already been used to raise awareness on the VNR process inside the country.

Additional sessions addressed means of implementation, linking policy ambition with resource mobilization and institutional capacity. The role of local governments featured prominently, with countries sharing experiences on how municipalities and regions contribute not only to VNR preparation, but also to SDG implementation and policymaking beyond the review itself.

Beyond “standard” VNRs and toward more mature national reviews

Discussions revealed a growing appetite for what can be described as “next generation VNR features” – approaches that move beyond descriptive reporting and toward more analytical, self-reflective, and action-oriented reviews.

From repetition to comparing VNR cycles: As countries enter their second, third, or fourth VNR cycles, the challenge is no longer explaining the SDG framework, but demonstrating learning over time. Participants emphasized the value of comparative analysis across VNRs, showing how priorities have evolved, which recommendations were implemented, and where progress remains limited. Mature VNRs increasingly focus on change and continuity rather than repetition, they highlighted.

Credibility through honesty: The issue of credibility featured prominently. While many VNRs highlight achievements, few openly address setbacks, policy inconsistencies, or areas of regression. The workshop underscored that self-reflective and critical reporting strengthens the value of VNRs by enabling learning, fostering peer exchange, and building trust among stakeholders.

Whole-of-government engagement: Moving beyond “standard” VNRs also requires a deeper, whole-of-government approach. Although inter-ministerial coordination is now common, parliamentary engagement remains uneven and politically sensitive. Participants discussed ways to involve parliaments to ensure continuity, oversight, and long-term ownership without turning the VNR process into a partisan exercise.

Toward gender-responsive VNRs: Gender responsiveness emerged as an analytical lens across the entire VNR, rather than a standalone chapter. Participants were encouraged to examine how policies across all SDGs affect different groups, strengthening both the LNOB approach and the overall analytical depth of the review.

Including citizen- and stakeholder-generated data: Participants explored the growing role of citizen- and stakeholder-generated data, particularly where official statistics are limited or slow to capture emerging realities. They acknowledged that such data can enrich VNRs by adding qualitative depth and community perspectives, provided transparency, validation, and methodological clarity are ensured, and LNOB considerations are respected.

Data storytelling as a call to action: The workshop emphasized that data alone does not drive change. Discussions identified data storytelling, which links indicators to narratives about societal trends and policy implications, as a powerful tool for communicating urgency, clarifying priorities, and making VNRs accessible to broader audiences.

Positioning the VNR as a forward-looking tool: Participants highlighted the value of forward-looking VNRs that extend beyond assessing progress toward 2030. Several countries shared their efforts to link current implementation with longer-term national visions and emerging global frameworks, including discussions related to the Pact for the Future, even where these do not directly overlap with the 2030 Agenda.

Spillover effects and policy trade-offs: Although spillover effects and trade-offs are not formally required elements of VNRs, participants in a dedicated side event acknowledged their growing relevance. Speakers highlighted that national policies can generate cross-border impacts, and sustainability transitions often involve difficult trade-offs. Advanced VNRs, they noted, are beginning to recognize these dynamics as governance challenges that require active management rather than avoidance.

The First Global Workshop for 2026 VNRs convened from 16-18 December 2025. Organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the workshop was held at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.