The UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) organized a global workshop for countries presenting their voluntary national reviews (VNRs) at the 2025 UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July. Hosted by the Government of Germany, the workshop offered opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and exchange of best practices related to the preparation and presentation of VNRs.

The Second Global Workshop for 2025 VNR Countries took place in Berlin, Germany, from 8-9 April, bringing together representatives of the VNR countries and numerous stakeholders. The three-day event sought to strengthen countries’ capacity to conduct inclusive and evidence-based reviews of progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs.

During an exchange around options for strengthening the science-policy interface, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) Jan-Niclas Gesenhues underscored that “policies based on evidence and geared towards learning are the key to a healthy planet and equal opportunities for all.”

Discussions focused on supporting a new generation of VNRs that, in line with the UN Secretary-General’s updated voluntary common reporting guidelines: deepen the analysis of progress towards the 2030 Agenda, shifting from assessments of the current situation towards an examination of the root causes of challenges; foster a culture of evaluation that informs policy actions; and assess how countries have responded to recommendations from their previous VNRs, establishing feedback loops to facilitate follow-up and implementation.

Participants heard expectations for the VNRs at the HLPF and received guidance for finalizing their reviews and preparations, including on how to build on previous VNRs to “craft a narrative” and develop forward-looking recommendations in 2025 reviews.

In a session dedicated to showcasing best practices, national innovations, and lessons learnt in the implementation of VNRs and the SDGs, Suriname presented its experience. It emphasized that constructive participation of stakeholders requires a foundation of trust, a whole‑of‑society approach, and comprehensive communication.

Participants reflected on engaging stakeholders and enhancing ownership of the 2030 Agenda, including institutional adaptations that support stakeholder engagement through platforms, consultations, inviting comments on the VNR, and reflecting stakeholders’ views in it.

Data innovations and the data journey for the VNRs, including conducting cross-sectoral, cross-Goal, qualitative, and quantitative analysis and using innovative and alternative data sources, were also among the topics considered.

A dedicated session addressed financing and means of implementation, including using the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) as a model to guide reporting on financing for the SDGs. It also considered how VNRs can contribute to the broader deliberations at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4).

Other sessions approached VNRs as a platform for partnerships and cross-country learning and provided an overview of VNR presentations at the HLPF.

HLPF 2025 will be held on the theme, ‘Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for leaving no one behind.’ It will conduct in-depth review of SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 14 (life below water), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals).

At HLPF 2025, 37 countries will present voluntary national reviews (VNRs) of their implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the national level. These are Angola, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Finland, the Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malta, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Nigeria, Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Philippines, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, South Africa, the Sudan, Suriname, and Thailand. [Second Global Workshop for 2025 VNR Countries] [BMUV News Release] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on First Global Workshop for 2025 VNR Countries]