The Progressing National SDGs Implementation report provides an independent analysis of reporting by United Nations Member States to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). Supported by a coalition of civil society organizations from around the world and prepared by Cooperation Canada, the report examines the current status of 2030 Agenda implementation, unpacks trends in reporting and identifies good practice.

The fifth edition of the report (2020) showcases positive trends with respect to reporting on partnerships, including the role played by civil society, and policy coherence. However, it also underlines the continued silence by Member States in Voluntary National Review reports on closing of the civic space, as well as the lack of reference to national accountability mechanisms. Moreover, this year’s report discusses the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on overall implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The interactive, global launch webinar (March 31st, 2021) outlined key findings from the report, offered reflections from representatives from governments, the United Nations, and global and national civil society organizations on the findings and reporting experiences. Moreover, participants provided insights on opportunities for engagement by civil society and other stakeholders at the HLFP and in VNR processes in 2021.

Click here for the Fourth Edition of Progressing National SDGs Implementation

Prepared by the Canadian Council for International Co-operation, the report identifies ten key pillars that we believe are essential to the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It also recognizes emerging good practice and sets out a range of conclusions and recommendations with respect to how countries can both improve their implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and use the HLPF as an opportunity for mutual peer learning, knowledge exchange and support. Importantly, the review also provides a comparative assessment of how VNR reporting is evolving over time through a comparison of analysis of the VNRs in 2016, 2017 and 2018 with findings for 2019.

This year’s report showcases positive trends with respect to reporting on leaving no one behind and stakeholder engagement. However, it also underlines the continued silence by Member States in Voluntary National Review reports on closing of the civic space and discusses how this impacts the ability of all stakeholders to engage and implement the sustainable development goals.