Forty-seven countries have announced their intention to present a Voluntary National Review during the 2020 session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
Twenty-four countries will present for the first time, while 23 countries will present for a second or third time.
8 August 2019: As of 8 August 2019, 47 countries have announced their intention to present a Voluntary National Review (VNR) during the 2020 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). Of the 47 countries, 24 will present their VNRs for the first time, while 23 countries will present a second or third VNR.
The 24 first-time presenters will include: Austria, Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Gambia, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Mozambique, North Macedonia, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Moldova, the Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Zambia.
The 23 countries planning to present for a second or third time are: Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Belize, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Finland, Georgia, Honduras, India, Jordan, Monaco, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Panama, Peru, Qatar, Samoa, Slovenia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Fifteen of these countries had announced their intention in February 2019. As noted in our SDG Knowledge Hub report at that time, 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 the UN Economic and Social Council (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.” [UN VNR Database]