The UN Secretariat has published a summary of the 2026 second global workshop for voluntary national reviews (VNRs). The workshop sought to strengthen countries’ capacity to conduct inclusive and evidence-based reviews of progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs by facilitating peer-to-peer learning and exchange of experiences related to the preparation and presentation of the VNRs.
Co-organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the Government of Brazil, with financial support from Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Second Global Workshop for 2026 VNRs took place in Brasília, Brazil, from 8-10 April. The workshop brought together more than 85 participants from 23 presenting countries, with participants from an additional eight presenters joining virtually.
Enjoying this article? Make sure you always catch our coverage by subscribing to our SDG Update newsletter.
The workshop featured interactive panel discussions that took stock of the preparations for the VNRs to be presented at the July session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and addressed participants’ challenges and concerns. Participants shared knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned from their respective VNR processes.
The workshop provided guidance on the next steps and the timeline for finalizing the VNR main messages that were due to be submitted to DESA by 20 April 2026 – and full reports, the deadline for which is 8 June. Participants also received information and heard suggestions for the presentation of the VNR at the HLPF in July.
The workshop’s sessions focused on the following themes:
- Towards a new generation of VNRs;
- Expectations and considerations for the VNRs at the HLPF;
- Stakeholder engagement in the VNRs and enhancing ownership of the 2030 Agenda;
- Mobilizing institutions and reflecting whole-of-government approaches in the VNRs;
- Data innovations and data journey for the VNRs;
- Financing and means of implementation;
- Communicating messages and findings from the VNR;
- VNR presentations at the HLPF; and
- Learning from the Brazilian experience of SDG implementation.
The First Global Workshop for 2026 VNRs was held in Rome, Italy, from 16-18 December 2025.
Thirty-six countries will conduct VNRs in 2026. These are Albania, Algeria, Bahrain, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Egypt, Estonia, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kiribati, Liberia, Malawi, the Marshall Islands, Mozambique, Norway, Moldova, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Switzerland, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Tanzania, and Uruguay.
To support Member States in their reporting, the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) updated its handbook for countries that prepare to present their VNRs. The handbook supplements the UN Secretary-General’s guidelines for voluntary common reporting at the HLPF. Lessons learned and best practices and tools for VNRs are also available.
HLPF 2026 will take place from 7-15 July, convening from 7-10 July under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), followed by a three-day ministerial segment of the HLPF, from 13-15 July. [Publication: Summary: Second Global Workshop for 2026 Voluntary National Reviews]